Mass Effect Slipstream - Book 3: Darkening Dreams
by Alan Tryth
Summary: Finn and his crew are sent across the galaxy following leads from unlikely allies as they attempt to uncover the Illusive Man's plan and stop him before it's too late. Every victory has its price, especially for Finn as he finds himself questioning how far he's willing to go to end the madness. Book II of the Otherwhere Legacy
1. Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Engagement

**Chapter 1**

 **An Unexpected Engagement**

The world of Trident is in many ways a massive tourist trap. Aside from the usual attractions, shopping strips, expensive hotels and restaurants a being might expect on a planet of beachfront property, Trident had also long since been home to several unscrupulous mega-corps who use the planet's location in non-Council space to conduct all manner of illegal activities such as drug-dealing, slave trade (usually under the politically-correct term of indentured servitude), and several extremely lucrative eezo-smuggling operations.

That was before the Shadow Broker decided to make Trident the base of her operations. The indentured servant trade, though not completely gone, was now strictly regulated to provide at least some protection to those who chose to enter into such service, and to ensure 'employers' did provide enough pay and benefits to allow those they purchased the ability to free themselves eventually. Drugs were less-well regulated, but pushers were limited to certain areas of the planet. The eezo trade was still in full swing, though most of the groups would have been surprised to learn that they answered to the same boss.

As a result of the Shadow Broker's efforts, the scenic areas of Trident were allowed to flourish; while this did mean an abundance of the usual tourist-milking businesses, it also allowed people to take their vacations without fear of being kidnapped or tricked into addiction. People were free to enjoy the beaches, the seawalls, and most importantly, the beautiful underwater coral gardens.

A series of translucent corridors beneath the thrashing waves of the ocean offered what many including Finn to be the most incredible views on the entire planet. Centuries of protection from the Trident souvenir shop workers allowed the coral to flourish, filling the ocean floor. Artists carefully cultivated the coral and shaped it over decades into the most amazing shapes and structures. One of which was Myriad Park, an enclosure surrounded by a massive swirl of colorful coral. It was a popular place for lovers of all ages, often of differing species.

As such, the sight of a human and quarian cuddling beneath one of the hikari trees wasn't unusual. Many regular patrons of the underwater gardens recognized them from previous visits, though none suspected that the quarian was a descendant of Commander Shepard and the human was the pilot, agent, and general troublemaker known as Finn 'Slipstream' Cresste ... that is, none save the KEI-9 unit with the face of a cartoon dog who happily chased butterflies to the amusement of those watching.

"Still hasn't figured out they're just holograms?" Kyra said, her lips curved into a smile.

"Wouldn't stop him." Finn said, hugging her closer. "Besides, it's keeping him busy. You know how he gets when he's bored."

She giggled. "I remember. I didn't think anyone could know so much about old Earth musicals."

"I know, right?"

Her smile widened, her gaze falling slightly. She moved closer to him and gave him a long kiss. He held her close, savoring the softness of her lips and the touch of her silken skin and curly hair.

As she lay back against him, her head resting against his chest, Finn thought back to their first meeting inside the Rigger's Folly on Omega. Within the span of a few hours, she'd mistaken him for a blind date, pulled a gun on him, actually went on a date with him, got drunk and sang a song so beautiful it still resounded in Finn's mind, and fallen asleep in Finn's quarters on the Ulasomorf. Unbeknownst to him, of course; he was breaking into the Blue Suns base of operations on Omega at the time in an effort to rescue his friends. No, he hadn't realized she was on the ship ... not until after he'd woken up and realized he wasn't alone in bed.

"Hey." She said, propping herself up on a slender elbow. "Just so you know, I told my parents about us."

"I know." Finn said. "I had an interesting talk with your mother the other day."

Kyra's cheeks went dark. "What did she say?"

"She said she'd tear off my balls and nail them to your ancestor's grave if I hurt you in any way."

"Oh, lord." She said, blush spreading over her face.

Finn chuckled and kissed her forehead. "She seems nice. Reminds me of Azure."

Now it was Kyra who chuckled. "I can see it. Hard to imagine what brought her and dad together; he's ... well, he's like you."

"Oh?" Finn asked as Kyra hugged just a little tighter to his side. "And what would that be like?"

"A big fuzzy pushover!" she said, shoving him over and climbing on top of him. He didn't resist as she pressed her lips to his again. Pulling back slightly, she said, "Kind. Caring. A little too clever for his own good."

"Stop it." Finn said, smiling. "You'll make me blush."

"I already did." She gave him another long kiss before sitting up on his stomach and saying, "I'm hungry. Didn't you say we'd be getting dinner?"

"Yeah, I did." Finn activated his omni-tool. "Speaking of, we should probably get going; our reservation's at eighteen-hundred."

"Perfect timing." Kyra kissed the tip of his nose before standing and hauling him up by his arms. Interlacing her fingers with his, she said, "So where we going?"

"It's a surprise."

* * *

"The Meryllion. Can't believe they're missing out on quality home-cooking just to eat at that fancy-pancy asari restaurant." Tuck grumbled as he chopped at a massive slab of meat.

While he'd been nothing but kind to the Shadow Broker's other cooks, they'd been sure to give him a wide berth after Finn broke his dinner plans to the krogan chef. That still surprised many of them: a krogan chef. Of all the careers one might expect of a krogan, somehow chef seemed the most unlikely, only narrowly beaten by 'teddy bear inspector'. Even more amazing was that Tuck was actually a damn good chef; already, his recipes had vastly improved the meals around the Amonjara, the Shadow Broker's underwater base, and with the exception of the occasional light case of food poisoning (usually some spice Tuck was testing out), Tuck's cooking had done wonders for the morale of the Amonjara's crew.

Glenda Adams (just Glen to her friends), troublemaker and somewhat mysterious ally, let out a chuckle as she sat at the kitchen's makeshift counter. "Can't blame him for wanting something special. It's a special day, after all."

"I can do special." Tuck said. "You think I didn't see this coming? I was gonna make a cake an' everythin'."

"Did you?" Glen asked, eyes wide with the possibility of sweet confectionary.

Tuck only answered her with a glower.

Sighing, Glen rose from her chair and popped her neck. Standing up straight, she was nearly as tall as Tuck, and just about as muscular. "Don't let it bother you, man. I'm pretty sure it's the privacy he wants more than anything. Let's be honest; we've all seen this coming; do you think they'd get a minute of peace if Finn tried proposing here?"

Tuck let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sherle would be there in a sec, fussing over the bride-to-be, and you know Xyn and Jan'Ce would be right behind her."

"Yeah. jockeying for maid of honor, no doubt." Tuck chuckled and shook his head. "Only one who'd fuss over her more would be Liara. You know she treats Kyra like a grandchild."

"She sees Tali and John in her." Glen said, a small smile on her face. "I can't blame her for that."

"Uh-huh. Why do I get the feelin' you're talkin' from experience?"

Glen's smile curled crookedly to the right side of her face. "I'm sure I have no idea what your talking about."

Tuck set down his knife and turned to face her. In a low voice, he said, "Look, I know no one's sayin' anything out loud, but everyone's talkin' about it. The way Liara hugged you when you boarded the Amonjara, the way the Illusive Man recognized you, the fact that even Jan'Ce can't find any information about you then or now on the datanet, and let's not forget about those weird clothes you wear."

"Hey," Glen said, pinching the fron of her shirt and pulling forward. "Green and Gray stripes are classic fashion, and denim never goes out of style."

"If you are a human child, perhaps." A grin slid across Tuck's turtle-like face. "C'mon, Glen; I can keep a secret. What's the deal? You ain't human, are ya?"

"Damn. You got me." Glen said. "I'm an elf."

Tuck snorted as Glen pinched the tops of her ears into points. They stuck that way, though her muscular frame belied any resembelance she might have had to the mythical folk of human fiction. Tuck opened his mouth to respond when a beep from the intercom interrupted their banter.

Glen got to the call button just a little faster than Tuck. "Glen here; what's up?"

"Glen?" Liara's voice asked. "Can you come to Corridor L-43? There's an ... incident."

"Threat level?"

"Nothing like that, though there might be some physical violence if someone doesn't calm them down."

Letting out a sigh, Glen said, "On my way."

"Need to borrow this?" Tuck said, holding up a ladle that looked more than capable of crushing the skull of a thresher maw.

"I'll manage." Glen said, shaking her head as she headed out of the kitchen.

She walked at a brisk pace; while they hadn't come to full blows yet, the tempers of those involved made it only a matter of time. Glen considered calling Headache from whatever void in inhabited when she wasn't using it; she decided against it, however; Headache was built for assembling (and occasionally, dismantling) large-scale machinery. It would be overkill in this situation, even with the possibility of magic-use.

She heard the shouting as she drew near corridor L-43. Even from a distance, she could make out the shrill voice of Sherle Mannon, an ex-Alliance officer who worked on J-27 with Finn and Jake before the whole mess with Cerberus even started. Glen wasn't surprised to see the lumbering form of J-27's other inhabitant, a surprisingly suave elcor by the name of Darsan.

He reached up with a massive hand and tipped his scarlet pimp-hat at Glen as she approached. "Relieved. Ah, Glen, good. Xyn, Eri, and Mannon are having a bit of a fight."

"What happened?" Glen asked, peering around the elcor's forms at the three people shouting jsut down the corridor.

"Confused; I don't know. Xyn and Eri were heading to the Arboretum when Mannon passed by. Xyn kissed her, which surprised the heck out of Eri, and when he asked what was going on ... well, I don't think Mannon knew about Xyn and Eri."

"A Neukaran, a turian, and a human." Glen said, shaking her head. "Sound like the beginning of a joke to you?"

"Rebuking; not if they start fighting."

"All right, all right." Glen said, raising her hands in defeat. "I'll see what I can do."

Glen walked around Darsan and approached the arguing group. She'd been keeping her ear to the ground, and could hazard a rough guess as to what preempted the argument.

"All right!" She said, walking between the three. "Enough with the shouting! You're giving the guys on the K deck a headache."

Three sullen looks answered him. It was rough with Sherle and Xyn, but turians can give a sullen look like no other race Glen ever encountered.

"Go away, Glen." Sherle said, her cheeks red. "This has nothing to do with you."

"No, don't go." Xyn said, her anxiety barely restrained in her normally tranquil voice. "An outsider's opinion could be helpful."

"She's right." Eri said.

"Shut up, Eri." snapped Mannon. "This is partly your fault."

"No, it's my fault." Xyn said, twisting her dark fingers in her hands. "Please don't blame Eri, Sherle; he didn't know."

She tried to sidle closer to Eri, but the turian moved away from her, not meeting her eyes.

"Okay, okay!" Glen said, raising her hands. "Let's start at the beginning; Xyn, go."

"Why does she get to go first?" Sherle asked, some of her anger diverting to Glen.

"Because you're angry and Eri's got the look of a turian who's not sure what to think. You cool down. Eri, take a moment to straighten out your thoughts."

To Xyn, Glen said, "Go ahead."

"I never meant any trouble."

"If I had a dollar every time I've said that." Glen muttered beneath her breath. In a normal voice, she said, "Start from the beginning."

Xyn's eyes glanced at Eri for a moment. "Well ... ever since Finn invited me to join the Meridia's crew, I've felt a special connection with Eri. More than anyone, he seems to understand the darkness that lonliness can bring into one's soul. In him, I found a kindred spirit, and over the last two years, I've come to care a great deal for him ... as a friend, and as ..." Her dark brown skin darkened in what passed as a blush for the plant people of Neukara. "as something more intimate."

"Eri?" Glen asked.

He sighed, his pincers clicking three times. "She's nice, she's beautiful, and ... well, like she said, we understand each other. I feel better when she's around. I ... I like being with her."

"Eri..." Xyn said softly. To Glen's releif, Eri gave her the turian equivalent of a small smile.

"Which brings us to the question of the hour." Glen said, "Why does this bother you, Sherle?"

"Because ..." Anger faded from Sherle's flushed face. "Because I thought she loved me."

"But I do love you." Xyn said, moving to take Sherle's hands. "I love you every bit as much as I love Eri. I don't understand why this makes you so angry."

"That's not how it's supposed to work!" Sherle said, some of her earlier anger returning as she pulled her hands away. "You can't just have this kind of relationship with two people?"

"Why not?" Xyn asked, genuinely puzzled. Her confusion was genuine; Neukarans are born as bonded pairs, and three and four-way unions were quite common, especially when intermarrying with non-Neukaraans.

While this was an understandable thing for Xyn to say, it wasn't what Sherle wanted to hear.

"It doesn't work that way!" Sherle said, though Glen noted she wasn't pulling her hands from Xyns. "Not with humans."

"Actually-" Glen said.

"Shut up, Glen." Mannon said automatically. Glen threw up her hands again before crossing her arms.

"If I care about you both the same way, why can't we all have that kind of relationship?" Xyn asked.

Eri and Sherle looked at each other. Sherle blushed and looked away, Eri looking away as well (Glen wasn't sure what would constitute a turian blushing, but she imagined Eri was doing it).

"We just ... we just can't. I can't do this, Xyn. I'm sorry."

"Sherle? Sherle, wait!" Glen said as Sherle walked quickly away from the group. Sighing, Glen rubbed her forehead and said, "Well, that could've gone better."

Xyn bowed her head, rubbing her elbow and looking despondant. Sighing, Glen fixed Eri with a stern look and pointed to Xyn, an eyebrow raised, a calculated gesture that wordlessly said, "Isn't there something you should be doing?"

He definitely got the message. After a moment of hesitation, Eri put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.

"I'm sorry." Xyn said, tears welling from her amber eyes. "I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"Shh." Eri said, smoothing her hair. "It's okay. It was just a little surprising, that's all."

She looked up at him with Nectar-orange eyes. "Then you're not angry?"

"Of course not." He paused and said, "Surprised, yeah; I didn't expect you to just plant a kiss on her face like that. Still, I think I understand how you feel."

"You like Sherle too?"

"Er, maybe not quite as much as you." Eri admitted. "But I'm fine with you being with her too if it makes you happy. You deserve to be happy."

"Oh, Eri."

Feeling things were just a bit too saccharine for her taste, Glen said, "Well, it looks like things are more or less resolved for the moment. I'll just be heading off now."

She passed Darsan and whispered, "Let's get the hell outta here."

"Understanding; Don't have to tell me twice."

Once they were a good distance away, Darsan said, "Curious; do you think they'll work out?"

"Xyn and Eri? I think so. Xyn, Mannon, And Eri? I dunno. Depends on Mannon, it looks like. I guess I can't say I'm surprised, though; you shoulda seen how much fuss there was when I married my wife." Glen chuckled, despite the note of saddness that ran through her. Shaking her head, she said, "Some people struggle with alternative relationships. Mind you, if anyone had tried to raise serious objections between me and the missus, she'd be the first to knock them on their ass."

"Amused. Not much for diplomacy, huh?"

"Nope, and I wouldn't have her any other way." Smiling, Glen asked, "How about you, Darsan? Is there a missus Darsan in your future?"

"Mock admonishment; are you kidding? Why confine my love to one when there's so much more to give?"

Glen chuckled. "You sound like James."

"James?"

"My brother. He fancies himself a bit of a player ... mind you, I think you have more luck than he does."

They shared a laugh at that. As they continued walking, Glen hoped that Finn and Kyra's date was going more smoothly than romance on the Amonjara.

* * *

The Meryllion was a fine restaurant well known across Trident. Specializing in fresh seafood prepared in a variety of styles, it was reportedly the best place for sushi on the planet. As such, getting a reservation could be difficult ... provided a person didn't have the ear of the Shadow Broker.

Kyra enjoyed the meal a great deal more than Finn; though the food was exquisite, the wine quite pleasing even to Finn, who was admittedly not much of a alcohol drinker, and the service perfect, Finn's stomach was twisting in one massive knot as he felt the moment drawing near.

Soon, the plates were cleared, two more glasses of wine were ordered, and the check was cleared.

"Scarlet says they're on the trail of another big score." Kyra said, unaware of her boyfriend's nervousness. Chuckling, she added, "I still can't believe they made off with the whole ship."

Finn chuckled, more because Kyra was laughing than anything; he was having a hard time hearing over the thrumming of his pulse echoing through his ears.

"Noir proposed to her, you know."

"Proposed?' Finn said, the word startling him back to the here and now.

"Yeah." She said, a smile on her face as she stared at the sunset through the massive windows of the Meryllion. "She said yes. Azure thinks it's too soon, but those two have been close since they were kids. If anyone could make it as a couple, it'd be them."

Silence fell over the table. It was time, and Finn knew it. With the moment upon him, he found himself completely unable to speak. He tried to force his mouth open, but the words simply wouldn't come.

Eventually, Kyra noticed his predicament. Concern in her eyes, she reached over the table and touched his shoulder. "Finn? Are you okay? You look like you're about to be sick."

"I'm fine." He said. Meeting her gaze for a long moment, he sighed and said, "I'm ... not fine."

"What's wrong?" She asked, putting her hand over his. "You can tell me. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Yeah, I do." He took a deep breath and said, "Kyra, I love you."

Blushing, she rubbed his hand. "I love you too, Finn."

"I just ... I really love you, Kyra."

"We've already covered this, I think." She said, a small smirk on her face. "But just so you know, I really love you too, Finn."

She leaned over to kiss him, but he stopped her.

"Please, give me a second." He said, feeling his face grow hot. "I just ..."

Sighing, he said, "by the Creator, I rehearsed this a dozen times last night, and now ... fwoosh; nothing. I can't remember anything I wanted to say to you, like ... like how glad I am you snuck aboard the Ulasomorf. How happy I am that you stayed, even after I offered to take you home. Knowing that you're willing to stand by my side ... it fills me with determination to see this through to the end, so that the universe is a safer place, not just for us, but for ... for our children."

Kyra's eyes widened as she no doubt realized where this was going. Her breath hung in her throat as Finn took a knee and said, "Kyra, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Whatever else the universe throws at us, I know we can get through it together."

He pulled the small jewelry box from his pocket, but as he opened it up, he realized Kyra was looking at someone behind him. He turned to see one of the asari servers looking at him with a strangely blank expression.

"Uh, this isn't really a good time for a refill." Finn said, aware that quite a few eyes were looking his way, qutie a few of the couples tittering at his apparent proposal.

"You are Finn Cresste, correct?"

Finn's brow furrowed. It was his name, but not the name of the reservation or the name he used while on Trident. Normally this would have bothered him more, but he was kind of in the middle of something.

"Just give me a minute, okay?" He sighed and turned his gaze back to Kyra. She met his eyes, but he could tell she was somewhat put off by the interruption.

Sighing, he said, "I love you, Kyra, and would be honored if you would be my-"

"Please, it's important. I must know; you are Finn Cresste, agent of the Shadow Broker?"

Now Kyra was getting exasperated. "Yes, he's Finn Cresste, and as I think he's about to ask me to become Missus Cresste, could you please go away?"

Rolling her eyes, she caught Finn's gaze again. "I'm sorry." She said sweetly. "You were saying?"

"Kyra'Shor vas Shepard." Finn said, trying to ignore the continued presence of the asari, "Will you m-"

The hairs on the back of Finn's neck stood on end as the asari spoke ... but not with any voice he'd heard before, asari or no. This was strange, etheral, and made his stomache quiver somehow worse than it already was.

"Friend of the Shadow Broker, hero who slips through the streams of the universe, hear our song. Long have we sought one to carry this message to she who stood with the Shepard, she who was there when our kind was given another chance; long shall we sing songs to their kindness and mercy."

Finn and Kyra were both on their feet, facing the asari; her eyes were solid black, a sure sign that an asari was in a deep mental state usually intended for use with one's mate. Someone was tapping into something primal within the asari, using it for communication.

"Who are you?" Finn asked.

"We are those who once threatened this galaxy, those once brought to the brink of extinction for our arrogance, only to be saved by the Shepard. We are those saved again from the darkness of the Reapers by the Shepard, and we are those who stood beside him in the final battle."

"A name." Finn insisted. "Who are you?"

"To your people we are known as ..." The asari paused, head lolling slightly to the side. "The rachni."


	2. Chapter 2 - A Big Problem

**Chapter 2**

 **A Big Problem**

Finn and Kyra guided the asari server through the hallways of the Amonjara, the beauty of Trident's floor lost on the possessed woman. Fortuantely, there were soon met by the Shadow Broker herself, her husband and friend Javik standing protectively close to her side.

"Bringing her here is a risk." Javik insisted.

"And having her give out classified information in the middle of a crowded restaurant is an even greater risk." Liara told him. "The rachni have broken centuries of silence to bring me a message; whatever it is, I don't want Cerberus getting wind of it."

She nodded to Finn, who turned to the asari server and said, "This is Liara."

"We know." The woman said, tones in her voice that could only be described as joyous. "We hear her song, so strong, just like his. It is good to hear you again, Liara T'soni."

"I'm glad to hear your kind has survived." Liara said, though Finn felt it was a touch stiffly. "What news do you bring us?"

"After the Reapers were vanquished, we left in search of a new home, a place where we could once again thrived and grow in peace. We settled in the distant systems you know as Artemis Tau; while our kind grew and thrived with the songs of peace, so too did we hear other songs; songs of darkness, of death ... of the Reapers. It was faint at first, and largely ignored as aftereffects of the war. As years passed, however, the darkness grew stronger, its songs so dischordant that we have decided to leave our homes to prevent its corrupting influence, seeking a home beyond the edges of this universe. I and a few others have remained behind to give you this warning; darkness lies in Artemis Tau. It is of the Reapers ... yet not wholly; it is mostly of Cerberus and their desires for control. Please, silence the song of the Reapers once and for all."

The server's body jerked and went limp. Finn and Kyra caught her before she could collapse completely. Javik pressed a hand to the woman's face, his normal frown deepening.

"She does not know anything of the rachni." He said.

"Probably just used as a long-range transmitter, poor thing." Liara said. "Still, if they're telling the truth ..."

Liara and Javik exchanged worried looks as the server slowly came back to her senses.

"I-I'm sorry." The server said, looking more than a little confused. "Please don't hurt me; I'll make sure to keep your glasses full from now on."

"There is nothing to worry about." Liara said, taking the woman by the hand. "You had a little fit, that's all. Now that you've been properly treated, we will bring you back."

"Oh. Thank you." The asari server said, glancing nervously at Javik. "It's funny; I felt fine this morning. Do you think it's something I ate?"

"Undoubtedly." Javik said, his voice thick with sarcasm Finn usually only heard when the Protheon discussed Finn's ability with a pistol.

Several agents arrived to lead the asari server away; from experience, Finn knew she'd have her memory erased before being brought back to the restaurant. The restaurant would be paid to keep her employed and to remain silent on anything that might have been witnessed. If that failed, a small explosive hidden beneath the restaurant served as a final failsafe.

Once she was gone, Liara said, "I'm sorry to cut your vacation short, Finn, but I want you and your crew on this one."

"I understand." Finn said. "Though it'd be nice to know what we're heading into."

"Trouble." Javik said, his tone dour. "I'm sending Hylia Krios with you as well. She at least can handle a firearm should you run into trouble."

"Fine by me." Finn said, forcing his annoyance at the prothean into the back of his mind. "We'll be on our way to Artemis Tau within the hour."

"Thank you, Finn. Kyra." A pained look fell over her face. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Kyra said consolingly. "I mean, it was just a meal, right, Finn?"

"Er, right." Finn said, even though Liara had been the first whom he'd confided about his proposal plans.

"Oh. Um, well, in that case, I wish you both good luck on your mission. Be careful, find whatever intel you can, and if that Illusive Bastard is up to something, put an end to it."

"Consider it done." Kyra said.

As Liara and Javik walked away, Finn let out a sigh.

"Here we go again." He said.

Kyra kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go get the Ulasomorf ready for launch. You get the others, okay?"

He watched her walk down the corridor for a few moments before stubborn resolution made its way through his mind. "Kyra!"

"Huh?" She said, looking back at him quizzically.

He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and held it up. "This is for you. You know that, right?"

Her fingers brushed the crushed velvet of the jewelry case. "The garden, the dinner ... I knew you were a romantic, and this still caught me off guard. I love you, Finn, more than anything, but ..." She curled his fingers over the ring box. "... you know I can't take it."

Heart sinking, Finn said, "I ... I see."

She walked back to him and slipped her hands over his. After staring at the ring for a moment, her eyes met his. "After all, you still haven't asked me now, have you?"

His eyes darted to hers. "What?"

"I'll just have to tell you yes after you plan an even more romantic setting.." She kissed him while he was still stunned and strutted away.

"Kyra!" He called out in the same voice he'd use to ask her if she'd eaten lunch yet, "Will you marry me?"

"Can't hear ya, Finn!" She said, pointedly sticking her fingers in her ears.

Unable to keep the smile from his face, he slipped the ring box back in his pocket. Raising his omni-tool to his face, he activated the communications unit and said, "Crew of the Ulasomorf, please report to the Ulasomorf for immediate deployment. Hylia Krios, please report to the Ulasomorf for immediate deployment. Jake, please report-"

"Right here, bro!" Jake said, the cartoon face displayed on his faceplate grinning as he came running around the corner.

Shaking his head, he said, "We'll be departing within the hour, so grab whatever gear you need and get to the Ulasomorf."

As he lowered his hand, Jake asked, "Well? What did she say?"

"We were interrupted by the rachni."

"The rachni? Really? Wow. Didn't see that coming."

"Yeah, me either. C'mon; all my stuff's already on the Ulasomorf already. Unless you needed to grab something ...?"

"Nah, I'm good." Jake said. "I've restocked our ice-cream stores."

Finn, who knew Jake well enough to know better than asking silly questions like 'Why would a robot need ice cream?', simply nodded and headed for his ship, Jake running along ahead of him.

The Ulasomorf sat in the Amonjara's Docking bay. It wasn't the most handsome of vessels, looking in fact like a large winged boot belonging to some ancient space-giant. Still, the mish-mash of styles and design was something Finn learned to appreciate and even admire. It wasn't flashy, it didn't have the best weapons systems, and it flew about as gracefully as an elephant launched from a catapult, but it was his.

There was, however, someone standing on the entrance ramp that brought a big smile to Finn's face. "Krieger! I'll be damned!"

The volus collector turned to greet Finn. It was impossible to see his face, but Finn liked to think the volus smiled as he said, "Ah, Finn! It's been far too long. I see you've taken great care of my ship." He paused and amended, "My old ship, of course."

"She's been great and all, but forget the ship." Finn said, "I thought they said you wouldn't be on your feet for at least another month?"

Krieger let out a chuckle. "Well, I never was one for laying in bed when there was work to be done, especially after I learned what you'd been up to. Running from Cerberus, working with the Shadow Broker, hunting the lost treasure of the League of One, and all the while courting my favorite niece?"

Laughing despite feeling slightly embarressed, Finn said, "Oh. Heard about that, huh?"

"Are you kidding? She's sent me an update every week. I must admit, I had doubts as to whether or not you were serious until I heard you finished your gene therapy. Tell me, how has life as an omni been treating you?"

"I can't complain." Finn said.

"Glad to hear it, my boy, glad to hear it." Coughing, Krieger said, "So Liara tells me you're about to go on another mission. Is it true what I've heard everyone whispering? The Rachni?"

"It's true." Finn said. "Though God only knows that they've found. You're more than welcome to come along."

"Oh, no.' Krieger said, shaking his head. "I'm no adventurer; just a collector come to see an old friend."

"I appreciate it." After a brief pause, Finn said, "I'm sorry about your collection."

Krieger bowed his head in acceptance. "Not your fault. Not all of it was lost, mind you; it's why I'm here, to be honest. I hope you don't mind me reclaiming what was in the Ulasomorf."

"Not at all." Finn said, "Though you might have to track down Jake to get your Blasto Comics back."

They shared a laugh at this. After a few moments of silence, Krieger extended his hand. "Take care of yourself, Finn ... and take care of the Ulasomorf."

"I will." Finn promised.

Finn watched as Krieger made his way down the ramp alongside a hovering crate no doubt carrying some of the collection he'd stored within the Ulasomorf. Smiling and shaking his head, he turned to head for the cockpit and nearly ran into Glen.

"Gah!" Sighing, Finn said, "Hi, Glen. Still with us, I see."

"Hey, I've got nowhere else to be at the moment." The muscular Builder said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm kinda curious about the rachni thing. Can't say I ever expected to hear the name again."

"You and the rest of the galaxy." Finn said, motioning for Glen to follow.

The Gradisian was already loaded, the ancient Quarian starfighter now outfitted with the cutting edge shielding and weaponry in case of trouble. Billy was onboard as well, much to Finn's surprise.

"Guess Liara's expecting trouble." Glen said, as if guessing Finn's thoughts.

"Better safe than sorry, I suppose." Finn said. He was never one to turn down a chance to fly.

The Gradisian was his ship as well, from his days as the repairman on Station J-27. He knew its systems better than any other. Billy, on the otherhand was bleeding edge-technology, incorporating many systems that even Liara's resources had yet to reverse engineer. It also contained the last remaining geth consciousness, who Jake named 'Billy'. Both were excellent ships, but the thought of actually needing both didn't sit well with Finn.

Glen let out a sharp laugh and slapped Finn on the shoulder. "Hey, don't look so worried! You know what they say; better to have them and not need 'em-"

"-than need 'em and not have 'em, I know.' Finn sighed. "I just hope we can resolve this quickly so I can start planning another proposal for Kyra."

"Heard it kinda got interrupted." Glen said. "Well, don't you worry about that. You want a romantic setting, I can totally hook you up. I've got a whole list of fantastic places she'll never forget, all across the universe, if you don't mind not asking a lot of questions. Anything from Shineside-seats at the next Glyche Circuit in Rimstak to Sunset and Spaghetti at Mount Ebott. Give me a few days and I'll have a whole list of places that would be perfect."

"Thanks." Finn said. "I would really like something extra special this time, something really phenomenal. Something we'll both remember."

"You got it." Glen said, snapping her fingers and pointing at him before slipping into the elevator just as it opened.

Jake was in the middle of activating the navigational subsystems as Finn stepped onto the bridge.

"Heya, bro." Jake said. "Just gettin' her warmed up."

"Thanks, Jake." Finn said, rubbing the top of Jake's faceplate. "Say, did you talk to Billy yet?"

"Not yet; he's been a bit preoccupied lately."

"Yeah." Finn said, "He's been working with the quarian government on a way to restore the geth. I hear they haven't had much luck, though."

"They'll figure it out." Jake said. "Just gotta have a little faith, that's all."

"Damn straight." Finn held out his fist, which Jake bumped with his metal paw.

Sherle and Eri arrived, though Finn could've sworn he felt some tension there. Fortunately, they operated controls on opposite sides of the bridge. As Eri settled into the weapon and defense systems and Sherle sat at communications, Finn asked, "We all settled in? Hey, where's Xyn?"

There was a definite flinch from Sherle at the mention of their neukaran shipmate. After glancing at Sherle for a moment, Eri said, "She's onboard. Probably settling in."

"Yeah, probably. Say, Jake, could you take over for sensors while she's out?"

"You got it, bro!"

As Jake hurried over to the sensor station, Finn said, "Officer Mannon, shipwide intercom if you please."

"Shipwide intercom open." She said with a nod.

Nodding back, Finn coughed and said, "All right, everyone, we're headed for the Artemis Tau sector. The rachni found something there important enough to break four centuries of silence to warn us about, so we're going to go take a look at it and hope that whatever it is doesn't bite back. They suspect Cerberus, and after the message the Illusive Man gave me, I would not be surprised. We're going to find out if it's them, and if it is, just what it is they're doing."

Smirking, he added, "Chaplain Darsan will now lead us in a short prayer before takeoff."

Aftera moment, "Darsan's monotone voice came over the intercom. "Mock outrage; the hell I will."

"Words that inspire." Finn said as Eri and Jake chuckled; even Mannon grinned a little. "Okay then; everyone strap in, hold on, sit down and ..."

"Just launch the ship already, sweetie." Kyra's voice interrupted, prompting more laughter from the bridge crew, Sherle included this time.

Sighing, Finn said, "Yes, milady."


	3. Chapter 3 - Artemis Tau

**Chapter 3**

 **The Arrows of Artemis Tau**

The trip to Artemis Tau was a somber one. Everyone was excited at the prospect for discovering some key secret facility hidden away in a moon or an asteroid that would blow the lid off the Illusive Man's plans. That said, everyone knew that if there truly was something of importance to the Illusive Man nestled somewhere in the sector, it would undoubtedly be well guarded.

Finn was on the bridge when Jake came to check up on him.

"Evenin' bro." Jake said, hopping into the chair beside Finn's. "Shoulda figured you'd still be here."

"Just making sure everything's running okay." Finn said.

"You really expecting trouble?"

"Not expecting it, no. Still, I'm sure it's not far off."

Jake chuckled at his friend. "Guess I can't argue with that. We've always had a way of finding trouble, haven't we, bro?"

"Mmm. Yeah, but let's be fair; we made a lot of that trouble."

"Hell yeah, we did. Couple of hellions, that's what we are."

They shared a chuckle at this. With a sigh, Finn spun his seat around and rubbed the top of Jake's faceplate. "Cherry Lane seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?"

Jake let out a sigh. "Yeah, it does. We've come a long way, I guess; pilot, bartender, repairman ... you've changed a lot too."

"Can't say the same about you." Finn said, smiling. "You're the one constant in my life."

Chuckling as his cartoon face blushed, Jake said, "Hey, you're embarressin' me!"

After a few moments of silence, Finn asked, "Jake? Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Yeah! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well ... you seem a bit distracted lately."

Jake shifted, an uncomfortable look on his face. "Just some bad dreams, that's all. Heck, not even really bad, just ... weird."

"How so?" Finn asked.

"Well ... have you ever had a dream where you were someone else? I mean someone way different from you?"

"I dunno. I guess I do every now and then, but I never really remember much afterwards. Normal dream stuff, I guess. You?"

"Yeah. I mean, like you said, normal dream stuff, right?"

Jake laughed, but there was a note of unease in his tone.

Finn put a hand on Jake's back. "Look, you know you can tell me about anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know, it's just ... I don't want you to get worried. I mean, you've already got your hands full with Kyra."

"Well, yeah, but she's my girlfriend ... and if all the other ancient species resist the urge to screw up my proposal attempts, she'll be my wife. That kinda makes her like a sister-in-law to you."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Jake said. "I guess, I'm just unsure, you know? I mean, with you and Kyra settling down, I guess I'll need to find something to do with myself."

"What do you mean?" Finn said.

"Well, you'll hardly need me around anymore." Jake said, looking pointedly away from Finn. "I mean, you and Kyra are gonna start a family. I mean, that's why you had all those injections, right?'

"You ... you saw me." Finn said, feeling a little embarrassed. "We didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

"Dude, I ain't judging you. With your chirality converted to omni, the chances of you and Kyra having kids is pretty damn high, and I know she's wantin' a big family. I know you're gonna make a great dad, Finn, but the last thing you 'll need is your little brother constantly barging into your home life."

"Wait a sec." Finn said, "You think I'm gonna abandon you so I can be with Kyra? Are you kidding? You're my brother! Of course I want you to come and live with us!"

"But Kyra-"

"She wants you to come with us too! She's the one who brought it up! Besides, when ..." Finn blushed. "Er, if we have children, they're gonna need their uncle, right? As a parent, I've gotta keep 'em on the straight and narrow. They'll need an uncle to get them into trouble, to teach them how to get out of trouble, and to keep them safe when they're rebelling against Kyra and me."

"You ... you mean it?"

Chuckling, Finn patted Jake's back and said, "I'd never abandon you, bro. We started this together, and we're gonna end it the same way ... Uncle Jake."

"Uncle Jake." Jake said, smile spreading across his viewscreen. "I ... I like that."

Finn smiled at his brother, but before he could say anything, the main console let out a small innocuous beep.

"Looks like we're almost there." Finn said. "Could you go grab Sherle and Mannon? Oh, and get Xyn too."

"Uh, I don't know if that's such a good idea." Jake said. "There's still a little friction going on there."

"Friction?" Finn repeated, raising an eyebrow at Jake. "What friction?"

"You didn't ...? Oh, that's right, you were at dinner with Kyra. You know what I said was gonna happen? It happened."

"Ah." Finn said. "I'm guessing Sherle was the offended party?"

Jake nodded. "Glen kinda defused the situation, but it's like really awkward when the three of them are in the same room."

Sighing, Finn said, "Great. Well, they'll have to deal with it sooner or later, and I need them here now. Do you mind?"

"Not a problem." Jake hopped off the copilot's chair and ran out of the bridge.

Finn was just setting up a basic scan when he heard Glen said, "He's real sweetheart, isn't he?'

Smiling, Finn said, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, a few minutes at least." She said, her hands tapping at the scanning consoles. "It's sweet. Remind me of me and my brother, James."

"He's like you, isn't he?" Finn said, his eyes on the rune on the back of Glen's right hand.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Like me? You mean a troublemaker?"

"More or less. He and Teria were the last people I saw before ..." A pained look fell over Glen's face. Quickly recovering, she said, "Well, he's always had my back. Maybe when I make it home, I'll be able to thank him for that."

"We could bring you home, if you want." Finn offered. "I mean, after we finish the mission, we could-"

"Sorry, Finn." Glen interrupted. "But there aren't any shortcuts for me this time. I have to take the long way around."

After another moment of unusual seriousness, she sighed and said, "Thanks for the offer, though."

Finn accepted her thanks with a nod. "So, about that door you have down in storage-"

The doors to the bridge opened, revealing Eri and Sherle. Finn couldn't help but notice that Sherle was very pointedly not looking at Eri. Eri, on the other hand, appeared uncharacteristically stoic-faced.

"Ah, good." Finn said, "Looks like we're coming up on Artemis Tau soon. Sherle, if you'd be so kind as to scan for anything out of place or remotely suspicious, or ... well, anything. Woulda been nice if the rachni had given us more to go on. Eri, warm up the defensive systems. There's not telling what might be waiting for us, and I wanna be ready."

"You got it." Eri said, assuming his station.

Sherle moved to her station with barely a nod at Finn.

Bringing the ship out of FTL was a fairly routine maneuver, but one that did require Finn's attention. "All right." He said, "Looks like our first stop is the Knossos system. Coming out of FTL in three ... two ... one ..."

The ship shuddered as Finn brought it out of FTL in orbit around a planet the computer identified as Therum.

"Looks like we're around a nice little garden planet." Finn said. "Nice place for a base. Sherle?"

"I'm detecting numerous ruins on and beneath the surface ... given initial age scans, I'm gonna say prothean. No signs of life so far."

"Not detecting any weapon signatures or vessels in the nearby area." Eri said.

"Good." Finn said. "Okay, now we just need-"

He heard the sound of the bridge doors opening, followed by Sherle sucking in her breath. Shaking his head, Finn said, "Ah, Xyn. Sorry to call you on short notice, but-"

"It's okay, Finn." Xyn said, looking uncomfortably between Eri and Sherle before approaching Finn's seat. "If I can be of assistance to you, I am glad."

Finn turned to face her, a kind smile on his face. Xyn's tall, graceful form walked slowly toward him, her leaf-green hair brushing her bare shoulders. She a simple open-backed dress, a single blue strap draped over her slender neck, and her feet were bare.

"Sorry we haven't had much for you to do so far, Xyn." Finn said.

"It's not your fault you were a patsy for Siren's Call." Xyn said, a small smile on her face. "Besides; I've enjoyed watching your adventures thus far."

"Well, you're getting a front-row seat this time." Finn said. "The rachni said something about hearing the songs of the Reapers and Cerperus. I can't pretend to understand what they meant, but I thought that maybe you could use your, er ..."

"Magic?" Xyn said, her smile widening.

"Er, yes. You told me once that you could sense things sometimes, things that were off in ways that sensors couldn't detect."

"The flow of lifestream through the universe." Xyn said, folding her hands in front of her simple dress. "I can feel aberrations, places where the song of life is discordant."

"That's right." Finn said. "That's what got me thinking about what the rachni said. Would you mind giving it a try?"

Xyn bowed her head and walked in front of the pilot seats. Staring straight at the viewscreen, she closed her eyes and brought her hands to her temples. She wasn't facing Finn or the others, but they all saw the flash of light her eyes emitted, filling the air around her with a sparkling amber glow. As he watched her, Finn was reminded of their time together; the 'magic' of the Neukarans was something beyond science and technology, something that seemed to hone in on forces within everyone. 'Magic' was perhaps an inaccurate term, but it was the best Finn could come up with.

After a few moments, Finn realized he could hear singing; it was soft, barely more than a whisper in his ear, yet it was definitely there: a peaceful song that brought to mind empty ruins and a people long since laid to their rest. Finn glanced at his bridge-mates to find Eri, Sherle, and even Glen staring at Xyn in wonder as the amber glow spread across the room. After a time, he could feel something from each of them, like different instruments playing a melody that blended with that of the others.

Eventually, she lowered her hands. As the field faded, Finn felt his awareness constrict, once again only his own. It made him feel a little cold, as though a chilly wind had blown through the bridge.

"There is nothing here." Xyn said, turning once again to face him. "Only old ruins and ghosts of the past."

"Fair enough." Finn said, accessing navigation. "On to the next world."

They cleared out the rest of the Knossos system, stopping at each world for a few blissful moments as Xyn checked each in turn. Each planet had its own song, and by the end of it, Finn was able to separate and recognize everyone else on the ship. Kyra's mingled with his own in a harmony that made him feel very happy, and he could tell that she was feeling it as well.

As they started scanning in the Macedon system, however, Xyn suddenly sank down to the floor.

"Xyn!" Eri said, moving from his console to her side. Sherle hesitantly joined him a moment later, whatever hesitation previously holding her back giving way to concern. As Finn joined them, Xyn said, "I am sorry. It has been awhile since I've had to use so much. I should like to rest now, please; could you help me to my room?"

"Of course." Finn said, taking her arm, Eri taking the other. Together they helped her to the lift, Sherle following behind with a worried look on her face.

"Keep an eye on the bridge, okay?" Finn told her. "I'll relieve you at twenty-two hundred; I'd like to keep shifts on the sensors while we're in the system; two people at all times."

"You got it, boss." Glen said with a playful salute. "Me and Sherle got this. Right?"

"O-of course." Sherle looked at Xyn uncertainly, as though she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words before the lift doors shut.

After a short ride, the doors opened to reveal the crew quarters. Finn and Eri helped Xyn to her room; as she pressed her hand to the authentication pad, the door slid open to reveal her room, though perhaps garden would have been a better term. The floor was covered with grass-covered dirt, and there were flowers in bloom all over the place. The bulbs were refitted with greenhouse bulbs, giving the sensation of sunlight that Finn found quite pleasant.

A small trickle of running water surrounded the patch of dirt she used as a bed. Eri must've been familiar with it as well, as he took a hoe from where it leaned against the nearby wall and used it to break up the dirt until it was fresh.

"Thank you, Eri." She said as he helped her lay down on her bed. "I believe I should like to dream for awhile."

"Take all the time you need." Finn said. "No need to rush anything. For all we know, there's nothing here."

"Thank you." And with that, she was asleep. Small roots grew from her normally smooth dark-brown skin, digging deep within the dirt of her bed.

"I'd like to stay with her for awhile." Eri turned to her, clasping his hand over hers even as small roots grew from her body and sank into the dirt.

"Sure thing. I'll set you two for early shift. Plenty of time to get rested."

"Thanks, Finn." Chuckling softly, Eri said, "She's incredible, isn't she?"

Smiling, Finn gave Eri a pat on the shoulder before leaving them alone.


	4. Chapter 4 - Sensitivity Issues

**Chapter 4**

 **Sensitivity Issues**

Finn walked toward the core, where his girlfriend's posterior was hanging over the side of a console as she worked on the console's wiring. A grin crossed his face as he set the plate of sandwiches and the two glasses of lemonade he carried on a nearby tray of tools. Her body went stiff as he hugged her legs and rested his head on her posterior.

"Hey! Finn, is that you?"

"Mmm. So soft."

He heard her let out an exasperated sigh. "If you're not too busy hugging my butt, would you mind pulling me out of this?"

Finn complied. She slid through his arms, twisting around so she could face him. She gave him a kiss before bopping him on the forehead.

"You bosh'tet." She said playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You coulda said you were coming down here."

"We hit a bit of a lull." He said. "So I figured I'd make us some lunch."

He needn't have bothered; she spotted the sandwiches before he finished his sentence. Letting out a squee, she grabbed one of the sandwiches and proceeded to wolf it down. Finn, seeing what was coming, quickly took a few bites from his sandwich. Sure enough, once her sandwich was gone, she turned her sights on his. Ticking him with one hand, she managed to secure the uneaten portion of sandwich with little difficulty and made short work of it.

Still laughing, Finn held one of the glasses out for her as she practically swallowed the sandwich whole. She took it with a bob of her head and downed it in one long swallow, giving Finn time to drink some of his before she claimed it as well.

"Ah!" She sighed, "Thanks, sweetie. I haven't eaten all day."

"Ulasomorf giving you much trouble?" Finn asked.

She shook her head. "Nah, just keeping everything shipshape, just in case we run into trouble. From the grilled cheese, I'm guessing there hasn't been any trouble as of yet."

"Nothing so far." Finn said as they sat down beside eachother, their backs agaisnt the base of the consoles. "Scanners didn't turn up anything ... small surprise there. I've had Xyn doing her thing, but it's taxing."

"Her thing?" Kyra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Neukaran Magic. Don't ask me to explain it; all I can say is that it's very real."

"I know." Kyra said. "I felt it. It was ... incredible."

"Takes a lot of energy to spread the connection that far." Finn said, "So she's resting at the moment."

"With Eri or Sherle?"

"Eri." Finn let out a sigh. "I'm glad at least one of them understands."

Noticing Kyra's gaze, he sighed and said, "You know better than most how I feel about abandoning Xyn all those years ago. Seeing her with Eri makes me feel that everything turned out all right after all."

"Just Eri? She asked, nestling against his side.

They shared a kiss. putting his arm around her shoulder, Finn said, "I'm glad she's found someone. It's shame about Sherle, though."

"She'll come around." Kyra said. "It's just ... culture shock, that's all. Not sure how I'd feel about a three-way union."

"Well damn." Finn said with mock disappointment. "I guess I'll have to tell Darsen tonight's a no go."

Kyra let out a snort of laughter. Finn laughed as well and hugged her close. They lay in silence, listening to the thrum of the core for a long moment.

"Finn." Kyra said after a few minutes. "I was thinking ... when this is all over, what's the plan. Y'know ... for us?"

"Oh? You have an answer to give me?"

"I'll give you an answer when you properly ask the right question." She said, ticking the tip of his nose with a finger. Her smile softened. "I mean, I get it if you want to stay here, but I was thinking ... well, there's plenty of land on Rannoch. Now that you're omni, food wouldn't be an issue ..."

Her cheeks were dark at this point in a deep blush. Giving an off-handed laugh, she said, "I mean, the Ulasomorf would make a nice home too, if that's what you-"

"Rannoch sounds nice." Finn said, squeezing her hand. "It'd be good to have a home that stayed in once place and didn't attract trouble."

She looked at him, clearly surprised. "You'd give up the Ulasomorf?"

"It's just a ship." Finn kissed her cheek and added, now blushing himself. "Besides, your mother's made it clear she wants her grandchildren nearby so she can spoil them properly."

"She didn't." Kyra said, cheeks growing even more dark.

Smiling, Finn said, "Well, she was heavily implying that she wanted us on Rannoch. She said she'd be happy anywhere with an address, with a room for her and your father to visit."

"Oh, God." Kyra said. "Tell me you haven't talked to Dad yet."

"Indeed I did." Finn said, hugging her shoulder. "He had quite a few tales to tell about you. Is the story with the apple true?"

She opened her mouth to respond when the lift doors slid open, revealing the imposing figure of Darsan, diminished slightly by the zebra-patter wide-brimmed hat he was wearing.

"Urgent; Finn! Something is wrong with Xyn!"

Finn and Kyra were on their feet in an instant. Finn asked, "What's wrong?"

"Worried; I do not know. She has started convulsing; Eri tried to bring her to the sick bay, but her roots refuse to let go."

"Probably paralyzed because of the convulsions." Finn said, already moving toward the lift. Kyra and Darsan joined him; it was a little cramped in the elevator, but it was only a short ride.

Eri looked up as they entered Xyn's room, definite fear in his eyes. "Finn! She just started shaking like she was having a seizure! Is ... is this the Nectar?"

"Nectar doesn't do this." Finn said. "Xyn! Xyn, can you hear me?"

She shook, her thin frame convulsing as though trying to tear free from the Earth. One of her arms was free, small roots still visible across her smooth skin. If she was aware, she gave no sign of it.

Finn found his fingers closing around his comm unit. Nodding to himself, he pulled the radio and said, "Sherle, get us out of here."

Her voice came back a moment later. "We're not sensing any-"

"I know. Just go! Any direction but the sun, I don't care, just go!"

"I got it, Finn!" It was Jake's voice that replied, much to Finn's relief.

"Finn?" Kyra asked as he clipped the comm unit on his belt.

He shook his head. "Just a hunch I'm hoping is wrong. Now to help Xyn."

It took only a few moments to find the bottle of amber liquid among the gardening tools Xyn kept by her bedside.

"Finn.' Kyra said, her eyes on the bottle. "Is it a good idea to drug her?"

"Nectar will help her relax." Finn said, opening the bottle. He filled the eyedropper built into the lid and approached Xyn as Kyra, Eri, and Darsan tried to hold Xyn still. It was difficult, but he managed to get most of the liquid into her mouth.

After a few moments, the shaking slowly stopped. The moment they set her back on her bed, her roots eagerly dug back into the ground and held her secure.

"Stay with her." Finn told Eri. "I'm heading to the bridge. Kyra?"

"Engine room, got it."

They took the lift together, Darsan accompanying them. The engine room was the first stop. Kyra gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying out of the lift.

Once she was gone Darsan turned his beady eyes on Finn. "Confused; what is going on?"

"If I'm right, we're about to have visitors." Finn said.

"Confused; right about what?"

Finn shook his head, hoping that his hunch was wrong. He hurried through the lift doors as soon as they were open. Jake was at the helm, piloting the ship.

"Okay, that's far enough." Finn said. "Cut the engines and let us drift. Sherle, activate the cloak."

"R-right." Sherle said, her Alliance training clicking into place. There was a brief shudder as the engine deactivated, followed by the usual brief feeling of disorientation as the cloak activated.

Everyone was silent for the next few moments as they waited. When the sensor controls beeped, everyone but Finn jumped.

Her voice a hushed whisper, Sherle said, "Three ships, Cerberus make."

"Exasperated; you don't have to whisper, Sherle; they can't hear us."

Frowning, she said in a slightly louder voice, "They're converging on our earlier position."

"Stupid, stupid, stupid.' Finn said to himself.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked, his voice also hushed.

"I was trying so hard to find something, it never even occurred to me that something might be looking for us too." Finn said, his voice grim. "And I've had Xyn beaming out our presence like a lighthouse beacon. Anything with an iota of empathic ability would've caught us by now."

"You mean like another neukaran or an asari or ..." Sherle's eyes widened. "The Reaper."

"Thoughtful; they are reported to have a powerful telepathic presence."

"Is Xyn in danger?" Sherle asked.

"Sherle, right now, WE'RE in danger, Xyn included. I just hope the effect of the Nectar will be enough to keep them from sensing us now."

Nectar was by its nature a relaxation drug that many scaal took when they needed to unwind. Finn knew from his time with Xyn that it suppressed the telepathic ability, allowing that rarest of gifts for an empath; true silence. True, she'd found something unpleasant in the silence when they met again, but he blamed himself more than her for that.

"They're scanning." Sherle said, her voice still hushed.

"I could use the thrusters to scoot us away."

"No!" Finn said quickly. "No thrusters, no anything. No risks."

They waited in silence, everyone Sherle as her eyes darted around the sensor console. After ten minutes of tension, she said, "They're moving away."

"Alarmed: but if they are Cerberus, shouldn't we follow them?"

"On it." Jake hurried over to the weapons console. A few taps, and one tense wait later, a smile crossed his cartoon face.

"Tagged 'em!" Jake said, doing a quick backflip in celebration. "Even if they think to check the subharmonics of their engine, Liara made these frequencies so they'd match normal background noise."

Finn let out a sigh of relief. "Fantastic. Any change in their course, Sherle?"

She glanced at the scanners and shook her head. "They didn't seem to notice. I've got a firm reading on the beacon as well. Looks like we pulled it off."

"Okay." Finn said, "Let them get a good distance away then follow them. Give 'em as much space as you can."

"Understood." Sherle said. "Good as time as any to test out the new array. If it works-"

"Just make sure we don't lose them." Finn looked around the bridge a moment before asking, "Where is Glen?"

"She left just before you called on the radio." Sherle said. "She said there was something she wanted to check on."

Nodding, Finn said, "Good. Let me know if anything else happens."


	5. Chapter 5 - Sense of Agency

**Chapter 5**

 **Sense of Agency**

The cargo hold was empty save for cargo, the Gradisian, and Billy. Finn looked around for a moment before shaking his head and heading for Billy. He was just about to open Billy's hatch when he heard the sound of a wooden door slamming.

"Glen?" Finn asked curiously. He walked around Billy and the Gradisian, eventually spotting Glen as she tucked her door undernead the workbench again. As she slipped something into her pocket and picked up a metal bowl, Glen called out to her again.

"Wha ...?" Glen said, whirling about. Seeing Finn, she let out a laugh and said, "Oh, hey, Glen. You scared me for a sec. What's up?"

"Do you know what just happened?"

Glen paused only for a moment. "We just had visitors?"

"Yes." Finn said. "Looks like they're picking up on Xyn's projections."

"Had a feeling." Glen said. "Fortunately, I've got just the thing. Come on!"

Finn looked at the metal bowl; now that he was closer, he could see it was filled with dozens of tiny holes.

"What is that?" He asked , pointing to the bowl.

"It's my BNCS." Glen said.

"Your BNCS?"

"My Brushed-Nickel Collander, Stupid!"

Scowling, Finn said, "Fine. You go do your thing; I need to have a quick word with Billy."

"Good thinkin'. Tell him I said hello!"

Finn couldn't help but smile as he walked back to Billy. Something about Glen's attitude just put him at ease; if she wasn't worried, he felt at least a bit more comfortable that everything wasn't about to explode.

Popping open Billy's side-door, Finn quickly climbed inside and allowed the craft to connect to the neural interface Billy installed in the base of Finn's skull during their first true face-to-face meeting. It didn't hurt anymore, though the sensation of metal sliding into his skull was still a little off-putting. Once the connection was made, his world predicatbly went black.

He opened his eyes to find himself standing on an island floating in an endless twilight sky. It caught Finn off-guard; usually, the locations Billy presented were real. Peaceful, relaxing, but usually from some ancient memory or datafile. As far as Finn knew, there were no floating islands outside of fantasy novels.

"Ah, yes." Billy said, appearing as he always did; as a little boy wearing a shirt far too big for him. He was sitting at the edge of the island, his bare feet hanging over the open air. "I've been talking to Glen. Quite the scene, isn't it?"

"It is." Finn admitted. "Where did she see it?"

"In person, according to her." Billy said. "She wouldn't say where, though she mentioned a 'Rising Star' on a planet called Vinta as being a floating continent."

Finn allowed himself yet another moment to wonder about his most enigmatic crew member before shaking his head. "Have you been keeping up with the situation?"

"I have." Billy said. "I must admit, that was rather foolish of you. I've told you much about the Reapers; did it not occur to you that you were putting Xyn in danger?"

"I know." Finn said, "Believe me, I feel horrible about it. Still, it's too late to be worried about it now."

"Indeed." said Billy. "It is unlikely they'll write this incident off as a glitch. They know we are here, and will take steps to capture and contain us."

"Or destroy us." Finn said.

"I was being optimistic." Billy said, giving Finn a lopsided smile. "Still, I doubt the Illusive Man would destroy us at this point, considering everything we've done."

"And there goes the optimism." Finn said, shaking his head.

Billy chuckled. "It's the truth; he has a mean sense of humor. I must admit, I'm rather curious to learn what he has hidden here."

"Nothing on it in the databanks, huh?"

Billy shook his head. "Most of my records concern the facility in which I was built, with vauge references to other facilities. Levi and I were lucky to find the Reaper."

"Yeah." Finn said. "Lucky."

After a few moments Finn asked, "The Illusive Man claimed to only have one Reaper, yet you showed me dozens of other facilities. Any idea what that was about?"

"None." Billy said, looking faintly puzzled. "Yet my records are clear; those facilities were all large enough to contain Reapers. Perhaps the Illusive Man lied."

"Maybe." Finn sighed and said, "Could you go through what Cerberus info we have? I doubt there's anything you or Liara have missed, but ..."

"Say no more." Billy said. "I will keep you updated."

"Thanks, Billy."

Finn was still rubbing his neck as he entered Xyn's quarters. Eri glanced at him and nodded. Glen was there as well; Xyn's head was resting in the bowl of the so-called BNCS. She seemed lucid, though her eyes still showed signs of Nectar's influence.

"Hey, Xyn." Finn said, kneeling beside her. "You doin' okay?"

"I have a little bit of a headache." She confessed.

"Sorry about that." Finn said. "I won't ask you to do that again."

"It was so strange." She whispered. "So different from anything I've ever felt before, but ... so distant."

"Artemis Tau's a big Sector." Eri said with a small laugh.

Xyn shook her head. "No ... the presence I felt was distant ... moving away. I think that's how I was able to break away."

Eri glanced at Finn, who could only shrug.

Glen patted Xyn's green hair and said, "Well, relax, Xynnie. Take it easy, and feel free to enjoy some more Nectar. Glen and I are gonna go have a word with Hylia. Right, Finn?"

"Er, right." Finn said as Glen headed for the door. Shrugging at Eri, Finn followed Glen out of the room. They walked across the common area to Hylia's quarters, where Glen pressed the call button on the outside.

"Yes?" Hylia's voice said through the speaker.

"Glen and Finn. We'd like a word."

"I'm a little busy right now. Can you give me a few minutes?"

Glancing at Finn, Glen said, "That depend. You want me to let Liara know you're a Warehouse Agent?"

There was a moment of tense silence, followed by the sounds of the door locks being deactivated. The door slid open a moment later, revealing the surprised face of Hylia Krios. The scarlet scales of her throat even more red than usual, she fixed Glen with a stern glare.

She opened her mouth, but Glen was quicker. "Before you even start with the denials, I'll give you three reasons not to bother. One, the purple gloves were a dead give away. Two, I recognize the sound of a Farnsworth when I hear one, and Three, because Missus Donovan and I are old friends. Isn't that right, Claudia?"

For a few moments, Finn was sure they were going to get the proverbial door slammed in their face. Instead, a voice Finn didn't recognize said, "Let them in."

A look of surprise crossed Hylia's face for a moment before standing aside so Glen and Finn could enter the room.

Hylia hadn't much time to make her quarters aboard the Ulasomorf her own. Still, there were definite touches of her personality there; an elegant katana was on display in one corner, and she'd put up several posters of the Meridian Knights, a rock band of some reknown. More importantly at the moment, however, was the red-haired woman standing beside the bed, arms crossed.

"Claudia!" Glen said, extending her hands in a hug that phased through the woman's holographic form. If anything, this just made Glen chuckle. "Just like old times, huh?"

"God, I hope not." The woman said. "Regeants are still giving me hell about that stunt you pulled with Terry Pratchet's Wizard hat."

Glen let out a laugh. "Yeah, but it was a Christmas to remember, wasn't it?"

The woman smiled in response. "Yeah, it was. I see you haven't aged."

"Likewise." Glen said. "I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours."

"Not a chance." The woman said, but she was smiling.

Glen moved over to Finn and put an arm around his shoulder. "Oh, and this is my new best friend, Finn."

"Finn ... Cresste?" The woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's me." Finn said, holding out a hand before remembering the woman was a hologram.

To his surprise, she actually shook it. "I'd ask you to call me Missus Donovan, but seeing as your friends with the everlasting goober, I guess Claudia will be fine."

"Er, would you prefer Missus Donovan?" Finn asked, unable to shake the feeling he'd wandered into the wrong ship somehow.

Claudia looked at Glen curiously. "He's not one of you?"

Glen shook her head. "Er, not as such. We're just friends, that's all."

"Ah." Claudia turned her gaze back to Finn. "If you have an air lock, I'd suggest flushing youself out of it to end it quickly."

Glen laughed and patted Finn on the back. "Always a joker! Seriously, Claudia, I do have a few things I need to ask."

"You know I can't go around blabbing about official warehouse business, even if three percent of our current inventory is from you."

"Only three percent?" Glen said, sounding disappointed. "It went down again."

"The point, please?"

"Right." Glen said, clapping her hands. "Three things; first off, yes, that's Betty Crocker's Collander, and it's mine; we're gonna need it to shield Xyn from any more mental attacks from whatever is out there. I'm keeping it when we're done too, so Hylia? Keep your sticky mitts off."

Hylia still seemed too stunned to contribute anything to the conversation, so Glen continued, "Second, you might want to screen Krieger's collection in transit; Tiger Wood's putter in particular might not be the sort of thing you want just laying around, as I'm pretty sure Eclipse knows exactly what it does. In addition, you might want to comb the field around his old place; who knows that's just floating around out there."

Claudia seemed surprised at this. "Thanks for the tip. Third?"

"The Crucible was designed to kill all Reapers, and I'm damn sure there's no tech in this universe that'd let it cheat death. That says artifact; so do you have anything with that kind of power in the warehouse and are you sure it's still there?"

Claudia was silent for a long moment. Finn fidgeted uneasily. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on here; all he knew for certain was that from the look on both Claudia and Glen's faces, it was extremely serious.

"It'll take some time to check out." Claudia said. "Especially if we don't have some idea as to what it might be."

"Something protective, maybe? Lancelot's Shield, Roger Ebert's Sweater, plating from the Discovery ..."

"I'm aware of what's in the warehouse, Glenda." Claudia said, obviously enjoying the look of annoyance that crossed Glen's face at the mention of her full first name. "Maybe one day you'll tell me why you know so much about it."

"Not likely." Glen said, motioning for Finn to follow her out of the room. "But keep hoping. A positive outlook is important, you know. Good bye for now, Claudia ... Hylia."

Once they were out in the hallway, Glen said, "Well, that's at least promising, yeah?"

"I have no idea what the hell just happened." Finn said.

"Probably best not to think about it too much." Glen said, giving him an apologetic smile. "They're really secretive, and the last thing you need is another group after you. Oh, not to kill you, of course; just to scrub all their little secrets away."

Glancing at him with her usual smile back in place, she asked, "You had lunch yet?"


	6. Chapter 6 - A Roll of the Dyson

**Chapter 6**

 **A Roll of the Dyson**

The Ulasomorf crept slowly behind the Cerberus ships; thanks in no small part to Liara and Kyra's tinkering, the Ulasomorf's cloaking device didn't put off nearly as much heat as it had originally. Still, it didn't remove it entirely, and the ship was already growing uncomfortably warm as they entered the Adroxyda system; a fairly recent discovery, Adroxyda had four total planets and a single white-dwarf sun. Initial scans were done by remote drone, so the planets didn't even have names yet, something that Finn and Jake were currently arguing about.

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with GIX-427." Finn said as he steered the ship. "I'm just saying, it's unlikely that Cerberus would be so obvious as to make a base on the system's only M-class planet."

"I know! That's the genius of it!" Jake said. "It's so obvious that it's the perfect cover!"

"That doesn't really make any sense. You know that, right?"

"Psh. You just can't understand genius."

"Okay, genius; why did you spend an hour chasing your tail yesterday?"

"Ha! Laugh all you want; I've almost perfected the movement subroutine that'll let me catch it, then we'll see who's the real genius."

"I suppose we will." Finn said, suppressing the urge to smile. Eri reported that Xyn was feeling better, Glen's somewhat vague explanation of the Warehouse and his request to Missus Donovan left him hopeful, and they still had not been noticed. Wiping away a line of sweat, Finn asked Sherle, "How much longer can we keep this up?"

"About an hour." She said; she had already stripped down to her white shirt and jogging pants, both of which were now sweat-stained. "We can vent in JJV-232."

"Aww, but what about the proto-shirmp that live there? Do they really deserve death? It's bad enough that Finn and Glen are just eating them."

Sherle let out a sigh. "For the last time, Glen's just messing with you; we had those shrimp in the freezer before we left Trident! There are no unmasked life-signs on any planets in this system."

"How do you know? Glen said their little legs can reflect-"

"Because they were just normal shrimp, Jake! Would you stop distracting me already?"

Jake let out a whimper, his cartoon face now showing a very sad-looking puppy.

"Aww, come on, Jake!" Finn said, pretending to shield his eyes. "Sherle, he's doing the thing with his eyes again."

Sighing, Sherle walked around her console and approached Jake. It was clear Jake thought petting and an apology were forthcoming, as he was caught completely off-guard when she switched off his display monitor.

As she returned to her post, Jake turned his now blank display to Finn. "Sherle's being mean, Finn."

Finn chuckled and shook his head as he reactivated Jake's screen. "Well, they have to be going somewhere."

"Hopefully it won't take too long." Sherle said, wiping her brow. "It's already eighty degrees in here. Even Xyn's gonna start feeling the heat pretty soon, no matter how many cooling units Eri has set up in her room."

"Well, if it gets to ninety, we'll back off." Finn said. "They jumped into this solar system, so we've at least narrowed down our search."

After a few moments of silence, Finn glanced at Sherle and said, "So, how's it go-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Finn."

Finn raised his eyebrows. "I was just asking how it was going. I know we haven't had much time to talk lately."

Sherle sighed and rubbed her sweaty forehead. "Right. Right. I'm sorry, Finn, it's just ... I've had a lot to deal with lately."

"All the more reason to talk about it." Finn said.

"I would, if I could count on someone being quiet about it." She shot Jake a narrow-eyed glare that he either didn't notice or chose to ignore.

After a few awkward moments, Finn said, "Say, Jake, could you grab me a bottle of water?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." With that, Jake bounded toward the doors that separated the bridge from the rest of the ship.

Once he was gone, Sherle let out a sigh. "Thanks. I love the rascal, but he can't-"

"-keep a secret, i know." Finn chuckled and said, "He means well."

"I know."

They worked their respective consoles for a few minutes before Sherle let out another sigh and asked, "Did you know?"

"About Xyn and Eri? Yeah, I kinda saw it coming. Eri's got a heart of gold, and I know from experience that's something Xyn can spot from a mile away. Besides, the way he gets nervous whenever she's around ... tell me it's not kinda cute."

She seemed to consider this for a few moments before a small smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, I ... I guess it kinda is."

Catching herself, she said, "I just ... I guess I'm just disappointed that Xyn didn't just tell me the truth."

"I've never know Xyn to lie."

"Finn."

"All right, except the time she pretended to be an innkeeper, tied me up, and tried to kill Kyra. Still, she was out of her mind on Nectar at the time, not to mention that it was pretty much my fault for just abandoning her like that."

Sherle leaned forward on her console, a contemplative look in her eye. "Do you ever regret it?"

"No." Finn said without hesitation. "I may have left because of my own commitment issues, but Xyn's idolization of me back then was definitely unhealthy. I guess that was what bothered me; I couldn't tell if she really liked me, or was just desparate to fill the void inside her when her partner died. It's not the same with Eri."

Glancing back at Sherle, Finn said, "Or with you."

Spots of red appeared on her cheeks. "Me?"

"Yeah. She is genuinely very fond of you. You can tell; her eyes brighten when you're around, and she smiles more."

"But Eri-"

"Eri has nothing to do with it. She's Neukaran. I've seen bond circles of up to eight individuals before ... well, four pairs of bond mates. If she cares about you as much as I know she does, it means she trusts you completely. She's willing to share everything about herself with you, even her soul. She obviously feels the same way about Eri."

Her cheeks were very red now. "I don't know if I'm okay with that kind of relationship. I mean, how would you take it if you found out Kyra was sleeping with Darsan behind your back?"

"A little betrayed ... and a lot weirded out." Finn admitted. "But Xyn's not doing anything behind your back; she kissed you in front of Eri. To her, she was showing affection to someone she loves and trusts implicitly, in the presence of another she feels the exact same way about. It's not a question of her loving one of you more or less than the other, Sherle. She wants both of you to become an intimate part of her life."

Finn turned his attention back to his console and moved the ship slightly to avoid a packet of light radiation ... nothing harmful, but no reason to just plow through it and strain the shields.

"If I did ... if I formed a bond with Xyn, and Eri did the same ... what would happen between Eri and me?"

"That's between to you and Eri." Finn frowned; something about the sensor readings on his console seemed odd ... something he couldn't quite point out. After checking to make sure their path was clear, Finn hopped out of his chair and moved over to Sherle's console.

"What's wrong?" Sherle asked as Finn accessed the main sensor array.

"I dunno." Finn said. "Something just seems off."

According to the scanners, the Ulasomorf was trailing far behind the signal from their beacon. They were too far to detect more than the beacon, but the beacon's amplified signal was still fully intact. Aside from the odd packet of light radiation, there didn't appear to be anything unusual in the vicinity other than the baked rock that was JJV-232.

"Eighty-five degrees." Sherle said, "It's only going to get worse as we get closer to the sun. Maybe we should break away and -"

"The sun! Of course!" Finn said, his fingers already dancing across the sensor controls to double-check his projections. Sure enough, the beacon was flying on a spiraling course that would eventually end with it going straight into the system's sun. Already, it was so close to the white dwarf that Finn was amazed the radiation wasn't breaking up the signal

Finn let out a sigh. "According to their trajectory, they're heading straight for the sun."

"What? Why?"

"They must've discovered the beacon and attached it to a probe to throw us off." Finn said, frowning in disappointment. "Might as well break off pursuit so we can vent this damn heat. Let me know once they're out of sensor range so we can drop the cloak."

He hadn't taken three steps before Sherle said, "Could we move a bit closer?"

"Closer? Why?"

"The beacon has a limited video capacity. There's gonna be a delay, but if we move a bit closer, we might be able to confirm that the beacon's been transferred with only a minimal risk of being detected."

"I'm amazed we can detect the beacon at all that close to the sun; even if we could link up to the beacon, I doubt we'd see more than static."

"Maybe." Sherle said, "Or maybe not. It's worth a try, Finn."

Shrugging, Finn said, "Might as well, I suppose. Okay; moving in closer."

After a few minutes of slowly creeping closer to the beacon's signal, Sherle said, "There! We're in range now. Give me a second to decode the signal and ..."

Finn glanced back at Sherle after she failed to finish her sentance, only to find her staring at her console with wide eyes.

"Sherle?" Finn asked.

"You might want to take a look at this." She said, sounding dazed. "Putting it on the main screen."

Finn froze the moment the image appeared on the main screen. "What in the hell? Is that ..."

"I have no idea." Sherle said. "But it's definitely not a sun."

They were still staring as Jake returned, two bottles bouncing about in his rear compartment.

"Yeah, I went ahead and grabbed one for you, Sherle, just in case you-" There was a screech of metal as Jake came to a sudden stop. "Whoa! What the heck is that?"

Finn said with a grin. "Jake, get us to JJV-232 so we can vent; Sherle, get all the info you can from the beacon before we break off; Billy will want to look over everything."

"Billy?" Sherle asked. "Wait; do you know what that is?"

"Oh, indeed I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a meeting to call." Finn glanced at the screen one last time before heading for the hangar with a big grin on his face.

* * *

"A Dyson's sphere." Billy's hologram said, his child-like hologram looking at the ever-growing schematic of the construct around the white dwarf star with obvious admiration. Sherle, Eri, and Jake were still on the Bridge and Kyra was still in engineering, but Finn, Xyn, Glen, and Hylia were standing around the geth's hologram in the Ulasomorf's hangar, looking a mixture of confused, amazed, bemused and ... well, elcor.

"Ingenius concept." Billy continued, "Completely harnessing a star. Can you imagine what could be done with that much power? Simply Astounding."

"Objecting; but the radiation-" Darsan said.

Billy interrupted, "Plenty of power for even the most intensive radiation shielding."

"And the heat?" Hylia asked.

"Used for actual heating as well as thermal power."

"And the sunlight?" Xyn asked. Her hair was much shorter, mostly because she'd somehow worked most of it through the holes of the collander and braided it so the brushed nickel apparatus was held firmly against her head. While appearing a little silly, Xyn somehow made it look rather adorable as well.

"Fully absorbed through solar panels undoubtedly lining the interior or the sphere. Everything perfectly harnessed to provide power." Billy said. "The light projected from the outside is produced artificially, providing just enough light to fool long range probe sensors. I've no doubt this was intentional."

"You think?" Glen said, chuckling. "Make a base in the middle of nowhere, and disguise it as a weak star. If Sherle hadn't insisted on checking the visual feed, we'd have written it off too."

"I may have spotted it, but Finn was the one who recognized it." Sherle said over the intercom. "How'd you know, Finn?"

Billy nodded. "Finn and I have spoken of Dyson Spheres before, during our training runs in the remnants of the geth fleet. After all, my people built one."

Even Glen looked impressed at this news. "Even the Glyche hadn't managed more than a few collector rings, and they had access to Kindred tech. I didn't realize your people were so advanced, Billy."

"It was out of necessity. My people perfected this technology in the years preceding the Reaper War ... back when we still fought against our Creators."

"I remember hearing about that." Kyra said, again through the intercom. "The geth were making a platform capable of holding every single geth. They didn't want to fight; they just wanted to live in their sphere in peace until ..."

"Kyra?" Finn asked as she fell silent.

"Until the quarians destroyed it." Billy said. "It's okay, Kyra; your people were afraid at the time. Afraid of the geth, afraid they'd never have a home again, afraid of the oncoming Reapers. Besides, many quarians at the time spoke out against the assault, including your ancestor."

"Tali was against it?" Kyra said, sounding surprised.

Billy nodded. "Shepard as well, though he was unaware of the attack until later. The geth planned to rebuild what remained of the original sphere after the Reaper War, but never had the chance."

A long moment of silence fell over the assembled group, only to eventually be broken by Hylia. "So Cerberus came up with the same gig, huh?"

Finn nod was cut short at the sight of Billy shaking his head. "I do not believe so."

"You don't?" Finn said, surprised. "But it's clearly-"

"My apologies." Billy said, "This is clearly a Dyson sphere. Even from the limited scanners of the beacon, however, it is clear that many geth elements are still present in the construction."

Finn let out a whistle. "So Cerberus is using the geth blueprints."

"And some of the original sphere." Billy said, an excitement in his eyes that seemed very human. "However, under the circumstances, this is excellent news. If this facility was involved with the force that shielded the Reaper, perhaps other geth programs are still functional. Perhaps more of my people could be rescued."

"Which definitely changes the scope of this mission." Finn said, looking at the others. As he feared, not everyone seemed excited about the idea of more geth. Fortunately, no one objected ... yet. "First things first; we need a way into the station. Ideas?"

"Is the sphere complete?" Kyra asked. "I mean, it's a huge construction. Maybe we can find an opening."

"Unfortunately, the inner shielding is very precise." Billy said, the schematic swirling around to show an inner view of the sphere. "Even if there was an opening, going inside the sphere will essentially expose us to the sun. At this range-"

"Let me guess." Jake said. "Extra-crispy, right?"

"Indeed." Billy said.

"Okay." Hylia said, rubbing her chin. "So we link to the outside, maybe make our own entrance through the outer hull."

Billy was shaking his head before she finished her sentance. "Even if they didn't detect the damage to their outer hull, our additional mass would shift the sphere; at best, they could pinpoint where we were in a matter of moments. At worst, we'd destabilize the sphere and-"

"Extra-crispy." Finn finished. "Got it."

They all stared at the hologram in silence. Finn could practically feel the answers the station undoubtably held, but how could they get into the metal egg without cracking the shell or themselves in the process.

"Curious; Where did our friends go?" Darsan asked. "The ones we were following?"

The hologram spun to reveal one of several outer doors, barely large enough to fit a vessel the size of the Ulasomorf.

"Yeah, something tells me knocking on the front door is a bad plan." Hylia said. "Even cloaked, they'd undoubtedly detect us that close."

A grin shot across Glen's face. "The Ulasomorf, yes; but what if we were on one of their ships?"

"What? You mean hijack one of their vessels?" Eri asked.

"No, too many things could go wrong. Maybe they've got a code we don't know, maybe the operator doesn't recognize whoever's playing pilot, maybe they only open at certain times. On the other hand, if we just sneak a small team aboard, we'd essentially be hitchin a ride inside. Once inside, we knock out a few guards for their uniforms, snoop around the place, then open the doors for everyone else."

"Okay." Finn said, crossing his arms. "So how do we get on their ship?"

No one spoke for a long time. Oh, there were plenty of ideas in their heads, but nothing actually plausible.

Then, with a wide grin on her face, Glen said the words that many she encountered came to fear. "I've got an idea."


	7. Chapter 7 - Glen's Plan

**Chapter 7**

 **Glen's Plan**

Tuck grumbled, "This is a stupid plan."

Finn agreed whole-heartedly. Unfortunately, he couldn't say anything through the gag. While Glen was careful not to hurt Finn with the bindings, they had to at least be secure for her plan to have a chance. As such, some discomfort was expected.

"I mean, I'm glad I can help out with your mission and all, but I'm just a cook." Tuck said, his massive fingers awkwardly tapping at the controls of the Gradisian as he navigated it through the Adroxyda system. "Besides, I'm a gourmet. I'm sophisticated and stuff. They'll never take me for one of those thick-skulled krogan bounty-hunters."

There was a crackle as the old radio Glen gave to Tuck activated. "Oh, don't you worry about that. This is Cerberus we're talkin' about. A bunch of humans who think they're so much better than the rest of the universe. Trust me; they'll fall for it."

"And then what?" Tuck asked. "And how are we gonna get the rest of the team in there?"

"Let me worry about that." Glen said. "Now stop talking before one of the Cerberus monkeys bangs a few brain cells together long enough to start monitoring old radio frequencies."

Tuck shook his head. "Like I said; this is a stupid plan."

They were nearing the second planet from the sun, a rather barren unappealing rock floating through space.

"Initiating a full scan." Tuck said. "No life-signs, no biological readings whatsoever. No materials worth mentioning. It's a giant red blob of dirt."

The scan was just for show; a full scan would no doubt show up on the Cerberus sphere's sensors, catching Cerberus's attention ... hopefully.

"Let's try this again. Sighing, Tuck activated the comm system. "This is the Bounty Hunter Figgin Drake, calling anyone from Cerberus. I got a bounty you'll be wantin' to collect."

There was no response. Sighing, Tuck said, "Look, I paid good credits for these coordinates, and gettin' this guy wasn't easy. But hey; I'm just a lowly krogan. Why talk to me? I'll tell you why; you bastards don't speak up, I'll just set this bugger loose. I might even give him these coordinates; I mean, if there's nothin' here, what's the harm?"

Despite his reservations, Tuck's acting was convincing. Finn felt certain they'd get a response, but only silence answered the krogan's grumpy threat.

"Mmmpf." Finn said, trying to indicate that it was time to move to the next planet.

"Yeah, yeah, hold yer horses, Cresste." Tuck said, one hand still holding the comm channel open. "I guess we should just-"

The comm activated immediately. "Confirm: your bounty is Finnegan Cresste?"

Tuck glanced down, his eyes widening. Finn was certain the krogan chef was about to choke, only to watch in surprise as the newest member of the Ulasomorf shone like a diamond.

"About damn time! Yeah, it's Finnegan Cresste, the guy who crashed the Council. Given how much he was blatherin' on about Reapers and Cerberus, I thought-"

"Hold your position. Do not attempt to leave the system."

The comm channel was cut off with an audible click. Tuck shook his head and said, "Well, that's something. How long do you think it will take 'em to-"

The ship shuddered as though something grabbed it. Through the now-flickering display of the Gradisian, Finn could make out two massive ships bearing down on them from either side. Tractor beams, Finn reasoned.

"Uh, Finn?" Tuck asked as they drew closer. "It kinda occurs to me that this only works if they want you alive."

"Mmpf."

"I'm just sayin'; what if they don't?"

Then it would be a very short trip. Still, Finn reasoned as the ships moved closer, Cerberus could've just blown the ship up if they wanted Finn dead. Clearly, they wanted him alive. The knowledge was a little reassuring, if not comforting.

A third ship rose between the other two, a rear hatch sliding open to reveal a very mouth-like shuttle bay within the massive craft. The two craft on either side of the Gradisian continued forward until the Gradisian was led into the shuttle bay.

"Six, seven, eight ... ten." Tuck counted under his breath as the Gradisian continued to fly forward.

Finn felt optimistic; ten solders didn't sound so bad.

"Ten mech-suits." Tuck said with a sigh. "Not taking any chances, are they?"

No, they wouldn't, Finn reasoned with as much a sigh as he could muster. Still, it was too late to reconsider Glen's plan, even if Finn was starting to agree with Tuck's appraisal of it.

Two energy beams caught the Gradisian as the tractor beams of the ships deactivated. Slowly, the Gradisian was lowered to a large spot on the shuttle bay, the mech-suited soldiers taking up positions all around it.

"Deactivate your engines immediately." Said the voice on the intercom. Shaking his head, Tuck said, "Yeah, yeah. Cutting engines."

As the ship went still, Tuck glanced back at Finn. "Well, buddy." He said, "End of the line."

He hauled Finn out of the gunner's seat with ease before climbing out of the Ulasomorf. Walking carefully down the steps of the entry ramp, Tuck used his other hand to wave at the soldiers in the mech suits. "Hey there. Nice tin-cans ya got there." If they heard him, they gave no indication of it.

Once his feet hit the floor, every rifle and gun-arm rose to greet him

"Whoa!" He said, raising the hand that wasn't carrying Finn. "Easy there! I was gettin' the feelin' you wanted this fur-less ape alive."

"Put him down." Said a stern voice from the largest of the mech suits.

"Yeah. Sure." Tuck said, plopping Finn down on his knees. "There you go."

"Step away from him." The voice commanded.

"Wait, wait, wait." The krogan said, one hand on Finn's shoulder. "I ain't in the charity business. Now I could easily get five-hundred thousand for this kid alone from Eclipse. Hell, if I didn't want to deal with the snooty blues, the Blue Suns is offerin' two-hundred thousand, and they ain't specifying 'alive'. The way I figure, this guy's been a major pain in your craw, exposin' you to the galaxy and all, so I expecting a hefty bounty."

"And you will receive it." The voice said. "Now step away from the prisoner."

Tuck shrugged and stepped back, hands still raised.

It was a tense moment; while Glen had been quite persuasive while explaining her plan, it was another thing altogether to be tied up before people you viewed as your enemy. Maybe they would smash him to pieces; maybe they'd blast the both of them into dust before doing the same to the Gradisian.

The large mech suit stomped over to Finn's position. "Bring our bounty-hunter friend to a temporary lodging, with whatever refreshments he requests ... within reason, of course. Cerberus could use a bounty hunter clever enough to capture any agent of the Shadow Broker, let alone one with the history of Finn Cresste."

Two soldiers in normal armor approached, one taking up position behind the krogan and the other gesturing for the krogan to follow.

"All right." Tuck said, rubbing his hands. "Lead the way, gents. Take it easy, Cresste!"

Finn grumbled through his gag as Tuck and his two new friends walked toward a door leading out of the shuttle bay. He struggled against his bonds, only partly because he was trying to put on a good show.

"Dismissed." The voice from the mech said. To Finn's surprise, the mechs all broke away from the group and moved to a series of pods lining the back wall of the shuttle bay. Only the largest mech remained, waiting in silence as the other mechs settled in their bays so their pilots could exit.

"Finnigan Cresste." The pilot said, his voice distorted by the speaker. "Repairman, bartender, tour-guide, pilot, and intergalactic trouble-maker. Look at you now; tied up and helpless at my feet. If you weren't wearing a gag, what would you say, I wonder? Beg for your life, perhaps? No, that isn't you. You've always been a head-strong idiot just one second away from becoming a burnt pile of bones flying through the cosmos."

"Sir!" A soldier in a smart uniform bearing the Cerberus crest saluted the mechsuit. "We've found something ... odd in the bounty hunter's ship."

Finn heard the sound of wood scraping against the floor of the shuttle bay. The mech suit moved around him, presumably to get a better look at the discovered object. To his surprise, the pilot of the mech suit let out a chuckle.

"Help our guest to his feet ... and undo his gag while you're at it."

"Yes sir."

Strong hands grabbed Finn by the arms and roughly lifted him to his feet. After a little fumbling, the gag was pulled from his mouth. Finn let out a cough as the soldiers turned him around to face two soldiers holding up Glen's wooden door.

"Now what is this about?" The pilot of the mech suit asked.

"It's a door." Finn said, pausing momentarily to clear his throat. "He had that in his hold?"

"Indeed." The mech suit prodded the door a few times with the nuzzle of one of its massive arm-mounted machine guns. "Doesn't seem unusual; scanners say it's just wood and metal."

"I wonder if that's Dooris." Finn said.

The mech suit turned slightly his way. "Excuse me?"

"Figgin Drake; ever since he caught me, I couldn't help but here him talking to someone named 'Dooris' ... like all the time. I thought it was a partner until he said he put me in the gunner's seat because Dooris didn't like people invading her personal space."

"You're kidding."

"Well, I did spot him talking into his open hold a few times ... I thought there was actually someone in there, not ... that. I mean, he acted like she was an old friend, a partner even."

"Huh. I guess crazy is a good attribute for a bounty-hunter. Dooris ... ugh." The mechsuit protective canopy slid open, revealing the human pilot. He climbed out of the suit ant approached the door, his gray eyes scanning the surface. He eventually tried the handle, only to find it firmly locked. For some reason, this made the man chuckle.

"Paranoid and crazy. Dangerous combination in ... well, anyone. Still, I suppose anyone wiley enough to capture Slipstream would have to be somewhat unpredictable."

"Slipstream?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Cresste, of course. Slipstream was his nickname back at Anderson. Best streamer they'd ever seen, right up until he and his squad nearly got their fool asses blown to bits."

"Not that I'm one to judge." The soldier added before Finn could make an angry retort. "To be fair, I was the one who challenged him to that race."

Finn's eyes went wide as the soldier pulled off his helmet. Beyond the glowing lines of biomodification circuitry lay a face he'd long forgotten. Blonde hair, gray eyes, and a perpetual smirk that even Cerberus had evidently been unable to remove from his face.

"Greg?" Finn said. "Greg Sakamota?"

"So you do remember." Greg said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Small universe, isn't it? Cut him loose."

The bindings around Finn's arms and legs were cut. Finn stood unsteadily as the cadet who was once his nemesis continued examining the door.

"You're working for Cerberus?"

"And you're working for the Shadow Broker." Greg said, his eyes still on the door. "Strange the way things work out. Still, I can't say I'm surprised; somehow, I always knew we'd run into each other again. I'm just surprised Katt and Seargant Rico aren't with you."

Finn didn't respond; he hadn't seen his old schoolmates for a over a month. Every time he asked Liara about them, she said they were working on a secret project and refused to tell him anything more.

"Oh well." Greg said with a shrug. "As much as I'd love to just stand here and reminisce about the old days, I'm sure you'd like a bit of a rest. You've had a long day, and you'll want to be at your best before your chat with the Illusive Man."

"The Illusive Man is here?"

"Not at the moment, but he certainly expected you to show up. He had us prepare a special room for you, Cresste, so come along."

Two guards flanked Finn and forced him to follow Greg out of the shuttle bay, but not before Finn caught a glimpse of two soldiers carrying the door away from the Gradisian. It took a lot of effort not to smile when they leaned the door against the nearest wall before returning to the Gradisian.

The door was largely ignored by the Cerberus guards and soldiers, aside from the occasional curious glance. This made it easy for Glen to slowly inch it open and grab a passing guard without catching attention. A few minutes passed before the door opened again. This time, four guards identical to one abducted earlier exited the door before closing it quietly behind them. The guard in the lead motioned for the others to follow.

While the appearance of the soldiers was identical, the last soldier moved slower than the others, yet he managed to keep up with the others by taking extremely large steps.

"Darsan." Whispered the soldier in front of the strangely-moving soldier. "Try to walk normal!"

"Annoyed: I am walking normally!"

"No, you're walking like you're about to apply to the Ministry of Silly Walks." The first guard said. "Look, I'll check the Wile just as soon as-"

"ATTEN-SHUN!"

The first three guards snapped to attention in almost-unison, the fourth following suite a moment later. Another soldier, clearly some kind of authority, approached the group and glared from guard to guard.

"Where do you think you're going?" The soldier asked, his tone making it clear it wasn't a casual question.

The first guard instantly responded, "Wherever you tell us to go, sir!"

The soldier nodded in approval. "Damn right you are. Now get over to alpha storage. There've been complaints that Delta squad couldn't hit a dead elephant with an assault rifle, even if they used the full clip, so you lot are gonna practice until that's actually an exaggeration."

"Sir, yes sir!" The group of guards replied, the fourth replying somewhat slower.

Frowning at the fourth guard, the soldier moved closer to the first and said in a lower tone, "And try to get Delta-seven to wake up and smarten up a little. We aren't the Alliance, but some decorum would be nice."

"Yes sir!" The first guard said.

Once the soldier was a good distance away, the first guard motioned for the others to follow. They hurried to the nearby doorway and quickly slipped through the doors and into the corridor beyond.

The first guard's body erupted in a brief flash of light that faded to reveal Glen. Three more flashes followed, revealing Hylia, Sherle, and Darsan.

"Okay, we need a way to see each other." Sherle said. "Or this is gonna get confusing fast."

"Not a problem. Let me see the wiles."

"Wiles?"

"Yeah. We named them after Wile-E-Coyote. He'd sometimes paint a tunnel entrance to catch the Roadrunner, only for the Roadrunner to just zip through it like it was real. These won't alter molecular density or anything, but they will produce a localized hologram. We just happen to be wearing them as a disguise.

After a few minutes of tinkering with the bands, Glen said, "There; I linked them together. As long as you're in close proximity, you should be able to see through the holograms ... not that you need it, Darsan."

"Insulted; and what does that mean?"

Glen shrugged. "I'm just commenting on your natural charisma. Okay, I'm gonna head back and grab Xyn and Sherle. I'll rig up their wiles the same way, so if you lot want to move on and start casing the place, go ahead. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

"Right." Hylia said. "We should try and find a schematic or a map or something. Then-"

"Then we find Tuck and Finn." Sherle said firmly. "There's no telling what the Illusive Man has planned for Finn."

Glen nodded. "Good. Okay; Eri, Xyn, and I will focus on finding a way out of here."

"Curious; what about the door?" Darsan asked.

"I explained this." Glen said, a note of exasperation in his voice. "This side of the door is set; we'd have to find a way to get it out of the sphere. Unless you think we can get Cerberus to mail it back to Trident, we'll need to find a way to get the Ulasomorf in or the Gradisian out. That'll be me, Xyn, and Eri, though; you just focus on getting our people back and accessing their computer systems."

"Determined; leave it to us."

"Good." Glen headed for the doorway again, only to be stopped by Hylia. Once Darsan and Sherle were a short distance away, Hylia said in a quiet voice, "We need to talk about Xyn."

"Xyn's fine." Glen assured her. "As long as she's got Betty Crock-"

"It's Marjorie Husted's colander. Betty Crocker's just the character she invented. Look, you obviously know about the warehouse and artifacts, so you must know that every artifact has a downside. So what is it? What's gonna happen to Xyn?"

"What?" Sherle said, looking back at them suddenly. "Something's gonna happen to Xyn?"

Rolling his eyes, Glen said, "Look, don't worry about it. I guarantee you right now that the downside is way better than her getting brainwashed by the Reaper influence."

"But-"

"The longer we argue about this, the more the downside of the colander's gonna be a problem! Now git already!"

Shaking her head, Glen headed back into the shuttle bay. She was just a few feet away from the door when a familiar voice called out, "Delta-three! I thought I ordered you to target practice with the rest of your incompetent team!"

Glen swiveled about smartly and saluted. "Yes sir! I was heading that way, sir, but I noticed something about this door, sir!"

"Oh? And what would that be, private?"

Glen opened the door, revealing what was within to the commanding soldier. The man's jaw went slack as he beheld what lay beyond.

Glen kicked the soldier into the doorway.

"Why does everyone have to be so damn difficult?" Shaking her head, she stepped through the doorway, the door swinging shut behind her.


	8. Chapter 8 - Captive Audience

**Chapter 8**

 **Captive Audience**

Finn was led through the corridors of the station under what he couldn't help but feel was strangely light guard. Only his old schoolmate/nemesis and a single armed cerberus soldier walked beside him. Finn couldn't help but feel a little let down that his previous actions hadn't warranted a larger retinue; they even

Greg glanced back at him after a few minutes, wearing the same grin he'd wear back at the Academy when he'd gotten a better score at something. "Come now, Finn, it's not like you to be so quiet. I'm sure you have questions."

"I kinda thought I was the one who was supposed to be answering questions in this scenario." Finn said.

Chuckling, Greg said, "Fair enough. Where's the Shadow Broker's base?"

When Finn was silent, Greg continued, "Does she know about this facility? How many agents does she have, and are any of them working undercover? Are any of them pretending to be loyal Cerberus drones?"

Finn didn't respond. In truth, he didn't know how many agents were under Liara's command, or if she had in fact any pretending to be Cerberus. Even saying that, however, seemed like too much.

To Finn's surprise, Greg only laughed at the silence. "Relax; I didn't really expect you to tell me any of that. The Illusive Man doesn't think of the Shadow Broker as his enemy, Finn; if anything, he feels they're working toward the same goal."

"I'm not sure the Shadow Broker would agree with that."

"Maybe not, but nevertheless, we have our orders. Ah, here we are." He stopped beside a door and pressed the control pad on the handle.

The door immediately slid open, revealing what appeared to be living quarters. Finn looked at Greg, who simply stepped aside and motioned for Finn to enter.

Finn stepped through the doorway and looked around. His room on the Ulasomorf was nice (he was the captain, after all), but the room in which he now stood was downright lavish. A mahogany-framed four-poster bed lay invitingly beside a wide window with a view of the galaxy beyond (likely an image transmitted by some camera mounted on the outside of the station, but still). A sturdy desk with a glass top bore a console, a small datapad, and a worn book that was all too familiar.

"The Crusade of Sir Tirager Vespere, Knight of Justice." Finn said, unable to keep a smile from crossing his face as he picked up the book. His hand froze as he started to flip it open; there was a piece of red wire marking a place near the middle of the book. Opening it confirmed that the place marked was where he stopped reading the night before he went to visit Krieger that last time.

"This ... this is my copy." Finn said slowly. "How is it you have this?"

"All in good time." Greg said. "First, you should get some rest. You've had quite the trip, after all."

"Sir!" The soldier said, holding out a small datapad.

"Oh?" Greg took the offered datapad and looked at it for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Of course. If you'll excuse me, Finn, I need to deal with something that was just brought to my attention."

"What is it?" Finn asked, a momentary pang of fear shooting through his heart. Had they discovered Glen or one of the other members of his crew so quickly?

"Just another surprise guest who needs a proper greeting." Greg said. "Make yourself at home, and please ... stay in this room for the time being."

There was just the barest hint of an edge in his voice as he spoke those last words, though the grin never left Greg's face. Without another word, both he and the cerberus soldier left Finn alone in the room.

Finn glanced around the room for a few moments. He didn't say anything; the room was definitely bugged, and he didn't want to cause trouble for his friends. Still, he wished he had someone he could talk to. He'd expected to be tossed in a cell, not given the sort of quarters normally reserved for visiting dignitaries. Then there was the matter of his old book; he'd given it up for lost, as the station was under heavy fire when he and his friends made their escape. He supposed Cerberus picked it up while digging through the debris, but why?

It all came back to the same question he'd asked himself since the day he'd spoken with the Illusive Man; why did the Illusive Man want Finn? Pilot, repair technician, bartender, tour guide, ship mechanic ... useful abilities, yes, but Cerberus no doubt had plenty of skilled soldiers at its disposal. What was so special about Finn?

Finn was still thinking about it when the door to his room slid open, revealing Greg.

"Found a friend of yours." Greg said, stepping aside.

Jake bounded past Greg and into the room. Finn knelt down as Jake hurried toward him, an eager look on his cartoon face.

"Jake!" Finn said, at a loss for words.

"Found him tucked in the corner of your bounty hunter friend's hold. With no restraining bolt or bindings, I'm guessing he snuck aboard to try and rescue you. Can't say I'm surprised; you two always were inseparable."

As Greg turned to leave, Finn asked, "Why me?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Why does the Illusive Man want me?"

"He has his reasons." Greg said, and for the first time since their little reunion, Greg's smile fell. It was only for an instant, and he caught himself almost immediately, but it was there; either he didn't know or didn't agree with the reason. Smile back in place, Greg said, "Well, I'll let you-"

"Look, I'm not even remotely tired." Finn said. "So can we just get on with ... whatever it is the Illusive Man has planned for me?"

"Patience." Greg said, "We are still waiting for his response to our message. Until then, you might as well put your feet up."

Once he as gone, Finn knelt beside Jake. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might need the backup!" Jake said, "And boy, was I right! I mean, Greg Sakamota? Is it just me, or is that a really strange coincidence?"

"Wouldn't be the strangest thing we've run into." Finn said, unable to keep the grin from his lips.

Jake chuckled as well. "Fair enough. I guess him being even close to as good a pilot as you woulda made him a prime target for the Illusive Man, even if you were still just a repairman at J-27."

Turning suddenly to Finn, Jake said, "Hang on; you think that's it? You think he's looking for pilots?"

"Get serious, Jake." Finn said, rubbing the top of Jake's display. "This much trouble for a pilot? What's he expect me to fly, the Reaper?"

"Very close, Mister Cresste. Very close indeed."

The hologram of the Illusive Man sprang to life in front of the two of them. Jake crouched down and growled as Finn reflexively reached for his carnifex only to remember it was still on the Ulasomorf.

A corner of the Illusive Man's mouth twitched slightly, as though he wanted to laugh but was holding it back. "I must admit, Mister Cresste, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"Not exactly my call." Finn said, putting a restraining hand on Jake's back.

"Ah, yes; bounty hunters. Strange how much impact outside forces can have on the grandest plans. Then again, the two of you have managed to anger a lot of people. The Blue Suns, The Blood Pack, Eclipse ... even the Alliance has offered a considerable sum for your arrest, Finn."

Glancing at Jake, the Illusive Man added, "and I believe some of Councilor Ghales's former associates would quite gladly part with much of their wealth to get their hands on you, Jake."

"Really?" Jake said, a look of surprise on his cartoon face. "Who's worth more?"

Finn shot a dirty look at his robo-brother. "Really, Jake?"

The Illusive Man did chuckle at that, much to their astonishment.

"You are quite the pair." The Illusive Man said, shaking his head. "An AI driven robot dog and his human making a path throughout the galaxy. In truth, I'm glad circumstances brought you both here, as you two are no doubt much stronger together than apart. I could almost say I want you on my side simply to prevent you from working against me, for what could I hope to accomplish that you wouldn't ruin by tossing your proverbial monkey wrench in my gears?"

"Almost." Finn said guardedly.

"Almost." The Illusive Man repeated. He ground out his cigarette and paused for a moment.

"Strange, isn't it?" He commented idly. "Even with my body long gone, I still feel the compulsion to do this. It's an action made of ones and zeroes, yet sometimes I can almost fool myself into thinking I can taste the nicotine."

As another cigarette appeared between the Illusive Man's fingers, Finn found himself asking, "What is it like? Being in the Reaper."

The Illusive man didn't respond for a few moments. Just as Finn started wishing he hadn't asked, the leader of Cerberus said, "It's ... difficult to put into words. My mind is much more than it ever was when I was flesh and bone. The knowledge of the Reapers is there, yet comprehending it has taken time. I've purged the remnants of the Reaper consciousness, but sometimes, I could swear I still feel them inside me, whispering."

The Illusive Man seemed to catch himself. "But they are gone. I've made sure of that. The darkness has been purged from my new form, both that of the Reapers and that of my old self."

"Are you still all gung-ho on the pro-human thing?" Jake asked.

The Illusive Man shook his head. "Such a foolish notion. Humanity is no different than the other species; they're just as vulnerable, just as fragile. Just as frail and in need of protection."

"Your protection." Finn said, seeing where this was going.

"Correct."

"From who?" Jake asked, a skeptical look in his cartoon eye. "The Reapers are gone, man. There are no big threats."

"Aren't there?" The Illusive Man paused to take a drag from his simulated cigarette. "Let me show you something, Cresste."

The door opened, revealing a stoic-faced Greg Sakamota.

"Take them to the control center." The Illusive Man said before vanishing.

"This way, gentlemen." Greg said, no hint of his earlier jovial attitude. This caused Finn and Jake to trade a worried glance before they followed him out of the room.

Greg led them through the corridors and up two separate lifts before bringing them to a room that was obviously the control center ... or in the very least, a control center for something.

The soldiers working the consoles snapped to attention the moment the Illusive Man's hologram appeared. At a wave of his hand, the soldiers working the consoles nearest the far wall returned to their duties. The wall flickered briefly before showing an image of a station built into a massive asteroid.

"Omega." Finn said, nodding in recognition. "I'd recognize that festering heap anywhere."

"Indeed." The Illusive Man said. "Omega is a perfect macrocosm for the problem this galaxy faces, the new threat that will ultimately destroy us. Even before my time, Omega was a place of fear; enslaved miners, ruthless gangs, twisted mercenaries and crooked shopkeepers squeezing every last credit from people slowly dying from sickness, malnourishment, and exhaustion. Above it all, Aria T'loak, a literal tyrant who watches it all like a child watching an ant farm. Feeding off the suffering. You know this; after all, you were her personal bartender."

"I'll admit, she could be a bit ruthless at times." Finn said, "But she was merciful too. She gave me a chance when I was just some punk kid, she's gotten much harder on the slavers and the indentured servitude."

"Yes, but she still allows such industries to exist. The Queen of Omega has the power to shut them down, yet she still by and large turns her head the other way. In fact, much of Omega is about turning the other way while others suffer."

"Well, yeah, it's Omega. It's not all bad, though; the Solus Clinic is open to anyone. Tareskan gives quite a bit of food to the soup kitchens. Hell, they've got the Archangels too; an entire gang devoted to protecting the common man. There are good people on Omega, and they do make a difference."

"I know." The Illusive Man said. "And their efforts should be lauded far more than they are. That brings us the big question, however; how do we separate the good from the bad? It's a question that people have asked for centuries; the Omega Conundrum, I believe it's been called."

After a few seconds, the Illusive Man turned to Finn, a curious look on his holographic face. "Any ideas, Mister Cresste?"

"Me?" Finn said, surprised.

"I don't ask idly; I would very much like a solution. If I gave you access to the entirety of Cerberus as it now stands, how would you solve the Omega Conundrum?"

It was a surreal moment for Finn, one that made him suddenly feel very much on the spot. He wracked his brain for a long time before saying, "Well, the most direct way would be to simply oust Aria and take over the station. Then you could set your own law."

"A sound plan." The Illusice Man said. "In fact, it was my first, back during the Reaper War. Unfortunately, there was something I didn't account for."

The Illusive Man rose from his holographic chair and approached the screen. "I chased Aria from the station, set my best troops to take control and cut out the cancer within the station. Do you know what happened?"

"They fought back." Jake said. "They banded together and fought against Cerberus."

"Exactly!" The Illusive Man said, his voice filled with suprising emotion. "The poor and downtrodden joined with the gangs and the shopkeepers and fought back my forces until Aria was able to return. The people who should've been praising our arrival gave their tormenters the manpower to stop us from succeeding. The question I've been asking myself is why. Why would they do this? Why would they stand with those who made their lives miserable instead of those who came to help them?"

It was a just question. True, Cerberus were no Saints during the Reaper War, but was it truly any worse than what the average person on Omega dealt with on a daily basis? Finn didn't have the full context, but on the spot, he had to say that at the very least, the situation had grown no worse for the Omegans of the time.

"I was unable to answer that question as well." The Illusive Man said with a sigh. "Ultimately, Aria returned with the aid of Shepard, and Cerberus was forced from the station."

Finn rubbed the back of his head, wracking his brain for a solution, any solution.

Jake perked up. "I know! Maybe you could offer those people a way out! Build a new place for them away from the criminals!"

"Another well-intentioned idea." The Illusive Man said. "Yes, I tried this very thing just a hundred years ago. Yes, Cresste, I've been active for awhile. I coerced quite a few to leave Omega, sometimes even sneaking them away from their masters to give them a fresh start on a new settlement in a distant system. I provided automated protection to prevent outside interference from slavers or raiders, gave them plenty of resources, and asked only that they mine a few minerals from the nearby deposits. Tungstun and silicon for the most part; easy and safe materials that are nevertheless needed."

After taking another pull from his cigarette, the Illusive Man said, "And I came back to find they'd essentially recreated Omega in miniature form. There was even a new Aria, a Batarian woman named Ta'anga, i believe. Had all of the miners under her thumb, and led them to attack my troops."

Shaking his head, the Illusive Man said, "What is the expression? You can take people out of Omega, but you can't take Omega out of people? I hate to think that a place is capable of tainting people in such a wa, yet the evidence seems rather solid."

"I lived on Omega." Finn said.

"For a short time. The corruption was unable to take ahold of you ... but then again, you are a special person, Finn. Surely you know this." A slight smile crossed the Illusive Man's face. "I know Kyra does."

His cheeks burning, Finn opened his mouth only to be stayed by the Illusive man raising his hand. "The matter at hand, Finn. How do we stop the corruption of Omega?"

Jake let out a bark-like laugh. "Blast it into dust. That'll stop it."

"Jake!" Finn said, not believing what he just heard. He squinted at the screen; it was hard to tell, but it looked like the station was firing on whatever camera was transmitting the video feed.

Rolling his eyes, Jake said, "It's a joke, Finn. Seriously, you can't ..."

"Godot is correct."

Energy beams shot from the edges of the screen, hundreds if not thousands of them. The effect was immediate, brutal, and swift: the beams tore the station apart, slicing through metal and rock as though carving a turkey. Larger ships trying to fly away were swiftly reduced to floating remnants of scrap metal. A few pathetic countermeasures fired from what remained of the station at that point, but they had no effect on the source of the beams.

And then it was over; in the space once crisscrossed with countless energy beams, nothing remained but debris. Omega was gone, completely destroyed.

The silence that followed was deafening. Finn couldn't think; his mind was still struggling to piece together what had just happened. Even Jake, always ready with a quip or a joke, was completely speechless.

"The Omega Conundrum is now solved." The Illusive Man said, giving them a brief nod before his hologram vanished.


	9. Chapter 9 - Tucked In

**Chapter 9**

 **Tucked In**

Glen's door opened about a foot before hitting the backside of a large crate. Glen's head poked through the opening a moment later, a look of confusion on her face.

"What's wrong?" Asked the voice of Eri.

"It's stuck!" Glen called back as she continued to push against it. "They moved the door! I told you you took too long!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you had to go back for your gauntlet-things."

"They're called 'Headache', and you'll thank me for remembering to bring them in the long run." Shaking her head, Glen threw her weight against the door until whatever was blocking it finally gave.

"Ha!" Her cry of triumph was soon joined by a few heavy-sounding thuds, a crash, and the unmistakable crack of glass.

"What was that?" Eri asked, his head now poking through the doorway behind Glen.

"Uh, nothing." Glen said, quickly stepping through the door so Xyn and Eri could follow. They were in a relatively small room filled with a mishmash of boxes, equipment, and parts.

"What are you looking at?" Xyn asked, her tone curious as she stepped from the doorway.

Glen stopped trying to see what she'd broken, spinning around and fixing the scaal woman with a dazzling smile that would have in no way fooled anyone.

"Nothing." Glen quickly said. "Just ... y'know, checkin' for guards and stuff."

"Oh. Okay. See anyone?"

Slightly taken aback by how readily Xyn accepted her response, Glen said, "Er, no; looks like we're clear."

"Small surprise there." Eri said, looking around the room. "This place looks like a garbage dump."

"Stuff taken from ships who get too close to Cerberus's little project, I'd imagine." Glen said, running a metal-encased hand around the battered locking mechanism of a small safe. "Waste not, want not. If you see anything useful, go ahead and grab it."

As Eri and Xyn glanced around the rubbage, Glen shut the door and grasped the handle firmly. With a loud pop, it came free from the door, much to Eri's horror.

"We can't just carry the door with us." Glen explained as she slipped the handle into the storage compartment in the back side of Headache. "And I don't wanna have to come back for it. No worries; as long as I have the handle, I'm good."

Had Eri not just seen what lay beyond Glen's door, he mght have argued about that. He still didn't quite believe it; unfortunately, Glen already made it clear she wasn't going to be explaining anything.

Glen checked the readout on one of her 'Headache' units. "All right." She said, "Looks like Headache's scanners reach about a hundred feet or so. I'm setting them to map this place out. I ..."

The screen flickered for a few seconds. Frowning, Glen smacked the side of the display a few times before trying the much more effective frequency controls.

"Sorry." She said, "Getting a little odd interference."

"Is it the colander?" Xyn asked. Her hair had fully claimed the metal cooking implement now, making it impossible to see even a sliver of the gray metal.

"Er, I doubt it." Glen said. "That only blocks mental signals, and only for the person wearing it. Even if it is projecting some kind of dampening field, Headache's sensors have handled far worse than that."

Shaking her head, Glen fiddled with the controls for a few moments. "Oh well; it works well enough. It's only good for about fifty feet, but that should give us plenty of warning if we're careful. Wiles on!"

Eri switched on his Wile, Xyn following a moment after. They appeared to be soldiers for a fraction of a second before Glen's modifications allowed the three of them to see through the projection.

"All right." Glen said, "So we're the escape team. Our goals are simple: find-"

"Find Finn, Find Tuck, and Find a way out of the sphere." Eri and Xyn said in unison, Eri adding, "We've been over this three times already."

"Right." Glen said, a slight blush in her cheeks. "Right. Okay; I'm guessing Finn's getting the evil mastermind speech from the Illusive Man or one of his subordinates right now, so we'll see if we can't find Tuck first."

Eri said, "I'm guessing he's either been provided quarters or thrown in a cell."

"Depends how villain-y the Illusive Man is feeling." Glen said. "And since we don't know where the living quarters or the barracks actually are, it's not like we won't be checking every room anyway."

"Then we should hurry." Xyn said with a firm nod. "Tuck might need our help."

They left the storage room in formation; Glen in the lead with Eri and Xyn walking side by side just in case they were observed. The hallway was fortunately free of personnel, so after a quick glance at Headache's display, Glen led her team down the corridor.

"Y'know, I doubt the Illusive Man sees himself as a villain." Eri said after a few minutes of walking turned up nothing more exciting than an empty broom closet.

"Oh?"

"I mean, it's not like people wake up and say, 'Gee, I think I'm gonna be evil today'."

"You wanna bet?" Glen said. "Ever hear of Doctor Insano?"

"Doctor Insano." Eri repeated. "Seriously? I refuse to believe there's really a guy out there who calls himself that."

Glen shot him a surprised look. "You've never heard of Doctor Insano? He made the Anti-magic Field Generator ... and he even incorporated a dongly-thing!"

Even Xyn was looking skeptical at this point. "That cannot be a real thing."

"Of course it is. Besides, I know the Doc; he helped me out after I accidentally used raretite instead of raretanium in the kit I ordered. Took weeks for my hair to go back to its natural color though. Oh, also, his son's a pink ball."

"Not believing any of this, Glen." Eri said, shaking his head as Xyn tried hard not to laugh.

The passing of several soldiers brought the strange turn to their conversation to a halt. Once they were gone, Eri said, "Finn will be all right, won't he?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it. The Illusive Man will want him alive, either to convince Finn to join Cerberus or to make an example out of him."

"There's one other possibility." Xyn said, twisting her hands nervously. "He could be telling the truth."

This brought a few moments of silence. Eventually, Glen said, "I'm sorry; I honestly didn't expect to hear you say that."

"I know, it's just ... he's right." Xyn said. "There are a lot of bad people in the universe. Even on Neukara, we've seen those willing to harm others for their own gain. Perhaps the Illusive Man has a real plan to help. Should we not at least consider the possibility?"

"Xyn, honey, I don't think-"

Glen held up a hand to stay Eri's tongue. "No, it's a valid point to bring up."

"You ... you think so?" Xyn said, looking even more surprised than Eri.

"Of course. All joking aside, there are some very bad people in the universe ... and believe it or not, there was a time that I actually agreed with the Illusive Man. I mean, he was the head of one of the largest pro-human groups, yet when the Collecters started harvesting humans in the Terminus systems, he openly helped Shepard Recruit several non-humans, including both Kyra and Hylia's ancestors. Hell, he even recruited ..."

Glen caught herself, but not before Eri and Xyn were giving her strange looks. Chuckling, she said, "Bah, you get the point. Thing is, I've always operated under the assumption that no good plan starts with violence. You sneak, you subvert, maybe you even knock a few people out, but killing isn't part of the plan; it's what happens when a plan goes wrong. You've both heard the message; he said he might be able lessen the loss of life with Finn's help, not stop it altogether. That tells me that something's wrong ... and maybe I'm wrong for thinkin' that, but that's just the way I am."

"No." Xyn said. "You're not wrong."

Glen felt her cheeks grow warm. "Well, I can't say my way's always worked either. Still, I appreciate you sayin' that, Xyn."

They continued on in silence, checking any doors they passed. Most led to additional storage rooms, some as big as a warehouse while others were smaller than the room in which Glen's door had been stored. It was a good fifteen minutes before they ran across the first of the firing ranges.

After passing the fourth firing range, Glen said. "Maker's breath, is all of Cerberus as bad at shooting things as Finn?"

Eri let out a snort of laughter. Xyn didn't respond at all; she didn't chuckle or admonish Eri as she often did when he picked on their mutual friends. From the look on her face, it was as though she hadn't even heard him.

"Xyn?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped slightly at his touch. There was a flash of confusion in her eyes before recognition set in. "Oh! Eri. Sorry; I guess I just wandered off a little."

"It's okay." He told her, his hand caressing her cheek just as two soldiers stepped out of the firing range. The looks of surprise on their faces were almost comical, though it took Eri a moment to realize that the soldiers were looking at their projections.

"Er ..." Eri pulled his hand back, but one of the two soldiers quickly raised his hands and said, "None of my business. C'mon, Biggs."

"R-right." said the other soldier.

As they hurried away, Glen let out a chuckle. "Some things never change. C'mon; let's keep moving."

The next room on the right side of the corridor led to what could only be a mess hall; rows upon rows of tables with metal benches, with the familiar metal shutters partially closed on the serving area. Glen started to close the door when her ears caught the sounds of singing.

"Glen?" Eri asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"I definitely recognize that song." Glen said.

They entered the mess hall and approached the food preparation area, listening as the song continued.

 _On Elsa's moon, my hearts were lost to the fair maiden Nell_

 _She stabbed me once, she punched me twice, but where, I just won't tell!_

 _Through the great halls of Togerall, I chased the Lady Grace_

 _but everytime I caught her eye, in mine she sprayed her mace._

 _While courting Duchess Maralee, I told her how I felt._

 _While giving me the sweetest look, she kicked me 'neath the belt_

 _I fought my way through bloody fields for Shana's pretty smile_

 _and her response? Well, let's just say I won't forget the trial._

 _I've searched for love across the stars_

 _yet only have found pain_

 _Yet still my wandering's not a waste_

 _If there's one who feels the same_

Glen pushed open the door to the prep area, where three humans, a salarian, and an asari with white freckles were singing and clapping along with Tuck. The krogan chef's bounty hunter armor lay in the corner, having been exchanged for a chef's hat and an apron with a cartoonized version of himself on the front bearing a plate of cookies in one hand and a spatula in the other. It was sickeningly cute.

"Aha!" Tuck said, spotting Glen and company. "Looks like our singing has attracted some wanderin' admirers!"

The other chefs froze, some with slight looks of fear, but Tuck just chuckled and approached Glen, holding out a spoon of something that looked very much like red modeling clay with bits of partially melted white crayons in it.

"I dohngh-"

The moment Glen opened her mouth, Tuck stuck the spoon in it. Glen recoiled, but there was no way to avoid getting some of the red gunk in her mouth. She started to spit it out when the taste hit her.

"Eh?" Tuck said, "Well? Whaddya think?"

"It's delicious." Glen admitted, cleaning her face with a towel offered by the salarian. "Red velvet, isn't it?"

"Yup, with white chocolate." Tuck said. "Thought I'd show you folks a recipe or two, give the people here a bit of fresh cuisine. I mean, these folks aren't exactly trained cooks ... no offence."

"None taken." The salarian said. "Wasn't exactly the career I was planning either. Unfortunately, I took a shortcut through the Androx Cluster at the wrong moment and bam; Captain Shavan Dablook, the fastest cargo runner in the Terminus Systems, now a short-order chef serving a bunch of soldiers who think toast with a bit of egg on it is an extravagance."

"Shavan!" The said one of the humans, a thin woman whose wispy blonde hair looked as though it were trying to escape her hairnet.

The salarian chuckled and put an arm around the woman's shoulders. "It's okay, honey. I'm sure the soldiers know we aren't about to start a revolution here."

Glen and Eri exchanged glances, Xyn apparently off in her own little world again.

"You think we should tell 'em?" Glen asked.

Eri shrugged. "Might as well; maybe they could help."

"What?' The salarian said, looking at the two of them. "Tell us what? Help with what? Explain."

Shrugging, Glen tapped her Wile. While her image remained constant in her view, the look of shock on the cooks' faces made it clear her projected image was gone.

"Easy!" Glen said, raising her hand. "We're with the Shadowbroker. If you're looking for a way out of this place, I'm sure we can help out."

The humans and the asari looked hopeful, the salarian skeptical.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Shavan said, crossing his arms. "You could be anybody. For all I know, you're working with Cerberus too."

"They're not." Tuck said. "They work for the Shadow Broker."

"How do you know that?" One of the humans asked.

"Because they work with me." He said with a grin. "We're all Shadow Broker Agents.

The asari let out a loud guffaw as looks of hope fell across the faces of the other hostage cooks. She slapped Shavan on the shoulder and said, "I told you he weren't no bounty hunter! No bounty hunter with his or her name would be caught dead with a bottle of cilantro on their person!"

Glen raised an eye at Tuck who shrugged and said, "It's not like it's the only spice I carry around."

The asari gave tuck a winning grin. "Glad to hear it. We've still got the stew to finish, I'm I'm hopin' you have some powdered cumin."

"Powdered cumin?" Tuck said, "Nah, you gotta use seeds. I'm sure I just-"

Shavan raised a hand. "Forget the cumin seeds; just what is it are you planning to do here? Don't get me wrong, I'd like to escape, but I've got Blessia and our child to think about.

"Ah." Glen said, noticing the human woman's slight belly bump. "Congratulations."

Blessia gave Glen a shy smile and nodded.

"As to why we're here, well ... let's just say, taking you lot along when we're done wouldn't be a problem. We're probably gonna have to hijack a ship to get out of the sphere, assuming we can find a way to open one of the outer hatches."

"One of the Cerberus ships?" Said one of the humans, a lanky red-headed fellow. "You'll never be able to pilot it."

"I can pilot anything." Glen said, flexing her fingers. "Trust me."

"It's not about skill; there's some kind of mental imprint on the ships. I heard some of the technicians talking about it at dinner a few days ago; by using imprints on the ships themselves, the pilots essentially do their work from here by remote."

"Meaning that someone would have to stay behind to pilot us out." Eri said, shaking his head.

"Maybe there's a way around the implant?" Glen mused, but she was already discounting that as an option; while she was no slouch with tech, she didn't want to center her plan around unfamiliar technology.

"Or maybe you could use our ship." Shavan said. "They keep the ships they catch in a special hangar. If you could get in there and get us to our ship, we could carry you out of here once your mission is complete."

Glen and Eri traded glances for a moment before nodding in unison, Eri saying, "We can make that happen."

"As for the hatch door, I might be able to help you." The Salarian activated his omni-tool. Encrypted wards practically covered the surface, no doubt from Cerberus to keep him from using his tool to hack their systems or summon drones, but apparently the mapping function was still allowed; Shavan had a map of the facility.

"Awesome!" Glen said, high-fiving Tuck and Eri, pausing only a moment before high-fiving the asari as well. "Right then; If we all work together, we can get this done in no time."

"Uh, Miss?" Blessia said, blushing slightly.

"Call me Glen."

"Miss Glen. I think there may be another problem."

"Oh?" Glen glanced at her compatriots. Eri and Tuck shrugged back at him. Glen started to ask Blessia what she was talking about when it hit her.

"Oh no." Glen said, looking around frantically. "Where is Xyn?"


	10. Chapter 10 - A Glyche in the System

**Chapter 10**

 **A Glyche in the System**

It was strange; although in appearance the corridors never seemed to alter, there was a definite difference in the way they felt. It was something belong lighting and the dull sheen of metal walls; almost as though the very air was off.

"Hope Xyn's doing okay." Sherle said. "She gets dizzy if more than one person on the Ulasomorf is in a bad mood."

"What are you talking about?" Hylia said, giving Sherle an odd look.

"This ... oppressiveness. Can't you feel it?"

"Confused; I can't feel anything." Darsan said. From the odd looks of the soldiers they'd passed so far, his hologram was still doing the same silly walk. They'd explained it as punishment from their team leader, which seemed to work.

Hylia's expression went from odd to downright worried. "Probably best not to think about it. Don't want any stray psychic emanations sneaking into your psyche."

"I'll try." Sherle said. "But if it's bothering me this much, Xyn must be going crazy."

"More confused; what are you talking about?"

"Scaal are naturally psionic by nature, Xyn even more so without a pair bond to provide an outlet for her natural abilities. This makes them particularly vulnerable to psychic manipulation."

"But that colander Glen put on her head should protect her, right?"

"Let's hope so." Hylia glanced at her omni-tool before nodding at a nearby doorway. "Here we are; I'm detecting a massive data cluster in this area, probably a central computer core or archival storage."

"Positive; That's great. Both sound useful."

"Depends on the protection involved." Hylia said, slipping on a glove covered with wires and circuitry. The moment she pressed her hand against the console, glowing blue lines shot along the wall, occasionally branching off in ninety-degree turns or creating small circular patterns, the meaning of which Sherle could only guess.

Eventually, one of the circular patterns flashed green. The door immediately slid open, the blue trails of light quickly retreating back toward her glove. Hylia let out a sigh as she pulled her hand back.

"Curious; interesting toy you've got there." Darsan said.

"Thanks." Hylia said as she slid it off her hand. "Made it myself ... with a little help from my boss."

"Off-handedly; you mean Liara?"

Hylia gave him a warning look before walking into the room. Sherle shrugged at the elcor before following Hylia.

She nearly bumped into Hylia, who had stopped a short distance into the chamber. The reason was obvious; the room they were now in was enormous. In the very center, a massive sphere of polished metal hovered silently. Three rings of increasingly larger sizes surrounded the core, each spinning at a different speed.

"This ... is different." Hylia said. "I've never seen tech like this before."

"Me either." Sherle said.

After a few moments of silence, Darsan shuffled his feet. "Uncomfortable. Could it be Reaper Tech?"

"No," Hylia said, "I've seen Reaper Tech. Hell, I've see tech of every single species advanced enough to tie two rocks together. This is something different ... something new."

"Well, no one's in here." Sherle said, though she found the fact far from comforting. "Might as well let the wiles charge."

"I'll lock the door just in case." Hylia tapped at the console for a few moments, eventually causing the door to shut.

Wiles deactivated (and presumably recharging), Sherle, Hylia, and Darsan approached the center of the room, where the core and its rings were surrounded by glowing holographic consoles.

"Okay." Hylia said, "This wasn't quite what I was expecting. Sherle, you're a comm expert. Can you read this?"

Sherle could only shake her head. The language on the consoles was unfamiliar even to Sherle, which in itself only made it more strange. As a trained comm officer, she was fluent with thirty-three languages, with a passable knowledge of another fifty. Nothing of the language was familiar, not even the lettering.

Darsan moved to touch one of the consoles only for Sherle to slap his massive hand away.

"Seriously, Darsan?" She said, giving him a stern look. "You have no idea what the controls do."

"Plainly; one way to find out."

"One way that could kill you or alert the whole station to our presence." Sherle said. "More than just the three of us could be affected, so don't touch anything!"

"Sarcastic; yes, mother."

Sherle bristled, but Hylia quickly stepped between them.

"Now, now." Hylia chided as she slipped her circuit glove back over her hand. "No reason to guess; strange language or not, this translates the functions of any system. Just give me a minute."

She pressed her hand against the console. Once again, glowing blue lines shot across the console's surface, some even sliding to the ground or the ceiling. Sherle was surprised to notice that it wasn't just the machines; the glowing lines spread along Hylia's skin as well.

"Definitely a lot of data here." Hylia said, a few lines running up her neck. "Give me just a second and I'll-"

Hylia's body went completely rigid. Alarmed, Sherle tried to grab her shoulder only to receive a nasty shock that left her hand numb. A brilliant yellow light shone through the blue lines created by the glove, quickly sweeping up through Hylia's hand and over her body. Her eyes shot open, now filled with the same yellow light.

"Accessing memory." She said, her voice overlaid with that of another.

"Hylia!" Sherle said, struggling to think of a way to free her friend.

Darsan grabbed her with a massive hand. Grunting as energy crackled along his arm, he pulled Hylia back with a mighty tug, separating her from the console.

The light faded instantly, both in the room and in Hylia. As her eyes went back to their normal black, a tired voice said, "Not very fun, is it?"

"What?" Sherle said, looking around for the source of the voice.

A hologram of a young human woman appeared in front of the glowing consoles, her pretty face marred by her stern expression. "Perhaps you'll remember that the next time you go poking around in someone else's memories."

"Y-you're an AI." Hylia stammered as Darsan helped her stay on her feet.

"Correction; I am a CIC. A Central Intelligence Construct."

"Cautiously; what's the difference?"

"Artificial intelligence gain sentient through knowledge and experience. CICs like me, however, are designed as sentient beings first, and computers second." With a sigh, she said, "Not that there are any of my designers left to appreciate the difference. It's been over two millennia since I've seen any other Glyche, bio-form or otherwise."

Sherle slowly approached the hologram. "No, I think I understand; you're more like a simulated person than a computer."

"That's ... accurate enough, I suppose." The hologram sighed again and said, "Though there are times I wish I was just an AI. Do you know how annoying it is to just get ordered around all the time like you're just a console? Mirabelle, run this projection chart. Mirabelle, process all the probabilities for this scenario. Mirabelle, take control of life support while we fix the damn air conditioning. Never a 'hello there' or a 'how do you do' or a 'oh, thank you Miss Mirabelle, you're a life-saver!' I mean, they never even bother sending anyone in here to even clean. 'You're just a program, Mirabelle; why do you care if your core is a bit dusty?'"

Sherle was a bit taken aback by Mirabelle's complaints. If anything, she was reminded of Jake's down-to-earth attitude, only a bit more crabby. The difference was that Jake had centuries to cultivate intelligence; Mirabelle had apparently been designed with it.

Shaking her head, Mirabelle focused her gaze on Sherle. "So why are you here, poking around in my mind? I've been perfectly clear with your boss; if he wants to use my technology to blow things up, he can do it without my help ... and if he even tries to delete me, I'll spread myself so far through this abomination's systems that you'll be lucky if the light switches work properly."

"Uh, this may be difficult to believe," Sherle said, "But we're not working with the Illusive Man."

Mirabelle raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? And just who are you working for? Someone else who just wants to use me to regulate the temperature?"

"Dubious; you don't already know?"

The hologram rolled her eyes. "I'm in an isolated partition of the Illusive Man's little abomination. Even if I was able to slip through the layers of protection keeping me here, I can't even pretend to understand half of the tech of this place."

"Surely that's not an issue for you." Sherle said. "I mean, AI or CIC, I'd think you'd be good at learning new technology."

"I am. Unfortunately, the Illusive Man has appropriated all of my skrievers, effectively tying my hands. Without them or the ability to build more, I'm basically just an electronic brain in a jar. You still haven't answered my question, by the way."

Sherle glanced at Hylia. Still a bit shaken, Hylia gave her a nod.

"We're agents of the Shadow Broker." Sherle said. "We're working to stop whatever the Illusive Man is planning. I'm Sherle Mannon, and this is my friend, Darsan. You've already met Hylia, I believe."

"Yes, I have." A slight look of guilt crossed the hologram's face. "Er, sorry if I was a bit rough. The Illusive Man's been sending his goons in here to get a data-dump of my core files. I thought he'd learned his lesson after I fried the last tech he sent in here, but you never know, right?"

"Er, right." Hylia said, eyeing the holographic CIC skeptically.

Darsan took a shuffling step toward Mirabelle's hologram. "Eagerly; so can you assist us? Can you help us stop the Illusive Man?"

Mirabelle sighed. "Look, you seem like decent people, which puts you worlds above the Illusive Dolt and his lackeys, but how do I know the Shadow Broker's any better?"

After it was clear no one else had any answer to this, Sherle sighed and said, "You were trying to download Hylia's memories. Could you do that to anyone?"

"I'd normally say no, but the way that glove she's using is designed allows for data to go both ways."

Nodding, Sherle extended her hand to Hylia. "Let me see the glove."

Hylia's eyes went wide. "What? Sherle, she'll lobotomize you."

"We can't just sit here and argue! Either we just leave her here and hope she doesn't tell anyone about us, or we prove we're on her side and work together to stop Cerberus. Now me, I like the idea of a CIC inside the base helping us out ... all of us."

"I ... right." Hylia handed over the glove with only a little reluctance.

Sherle slid it over her hand with little difficulty and turned to Mirabelle. Taking a deep breath, she held out her hand.

Mirabelle took it. The moment her holographic hand touched the glove, Sherle felt a rush of memories sweep through her mind; growing up in Minnesota, the day she received her acceptance letter from Anderson Academy, and more. There was no time to react, even at the hard memories like the death of her little brother, the moment she froze during her command exam, her initial assignment to J-27, and the loss of J-27 long after it had become her home. Her crush on Finn swept through her mind in an instant, only to be replaced with Xyn. Her face brought with it a measure of peace and comfort, protecting her from the flow of other memories.

Sherle gasped as the connection was broken, leaving her head throbbing with pain.

Mirabelle put her hands to Sherle's temples, a look of concern on her face. "Are you okay, Sherle?"

"I'm fine." Sherle said, the headache fading as a gentle blue light emanated from the tips of Mirabelle's finger. "It was just a bit ... overwhelming."

Mirabelle gave her an apologetic smile. "I know. I needed as much info as I could get, and Hylia's toy isn't exactly a precision tool, I'm afraid."

"Hey!" Hylia said, glowering at the CIC.

"Nervously; but it worked, right?"

"Yes, Darsan." Mirabelle said as Hylia helped Sherle stand. "Well, you've definitely convinced me. It may still be a long shot, but I'll give you a chance."

A small opening appeared in the floor, out of which climbed a single bug-like robot no bigger than Sherle's shoe.

Mirabelle knelt down and smiled at the little robot. "Hello, Regina. Looks like we're getting our chance; can you go with these people and help them find the Control Core?"

The bug-robot chirped and approached Darsan. Darsan tried to move away, but the bug was faster; quickly climbing up the elcor until it was resting on his head.

"Agitated; get it off, get it off, get it-"

"Oh, stop whining!" Mirabelle snapped. "She won't hurt you; besides, a skriever looks a damn sight better than that eyesore of a hat you usually wear."

"Outraged; hey!"

Rolling her eyes, Sherle relieved Darsan of the skriever. The little bug chittered at her for a moment before climbing to her shoulder.

"That's my last skriever." Mirabelle told her. "I took great pains to hide her from the Illusive Man, so I ask that you take good care of her."

"We will." Sherle promised.

"Thank you." Mirabelle spread her hands, a partial map of the station appearing in the air in front of her. She traced a path, her finger leaving a glowing line where it passed. "I believe your best bet is to check the secondary data storage core; while I doubt the Control Core is there, Regina should be able to jack into the primary network and figure out where it really is."

"That's nice, but we still need to find our friends." Hylia said.

"Once Regina interfaces with the primary network, I'll be able to tap into the station scanners and locate your friends." Mirabelle said. "Just remember to be careful; the Illusive Man's meat puppets are bad enough, but don't forget he has access to over a hundred skrievers."

"Resigned; odds against us as usual, check." Darsan said.

Mirabelle chuckled. "You have certainly had an interesting time of it since abandoning J-27. I look forward to hearing all about it ... once we are all far away from here."

Darsan and Hylia headed for the door. Sherle moved to follow, only to feel a gentle pressure on her hand.

"Sherle." Mirabelle said, her voice quiet. "Take this with you and tell no one."

Sherle looked down to see a small device strapped to the back of her hand. "What is this?"

"A communications device, among other things. Its power is limited, but could come in handy. Listen; come back safe, all right? It's been a long time since I've had someone to talk to, and ... well, after seeing your memories, I feel that I know you better than I know anyone these days."

A smile crossed her face. "Besides, I want to hear about this Xyn you care for so much."

Cheeks burning, Sherle said, "I'm don't-"

She stopped, as Mirabelle was nowhere to be seen. Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Sherle hurried after her friends.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Lost

**Chapter 11**

 **The Lost**

Greg Sakamota led Finn and Jake back to their rooms in silence. Finn and Jake were too stunned to speak, and even Greg seemed a little taken aback. When they reached Finn's quarters, Greg simply opened the doors and motioned for them to enter. They did so without a word, remaining silent even after Greg departed and the door was shut.

Finn struggled to think of something, anything to say. What could he say? All he could think about was the last time he saw Omega. He, Jake, and Darsan just escaped the Blue Suns Headquarters, Finn destroying a book collection worth millions in the process. Aria had been unhappy, and pretty much kicked them out of the station until the situation cooled down. Even then, Aria and he pretty much agreed that it was for the best, what with Cerberus chasing them.

"Aria." Finn said. "She's dead."

"I know. It's so weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah." Jake let out a sad sigh. "I kinda thought she'd live forever. She certainly acted like she would always be there."

Finn couldn't help but smile, Jake's words conjuring an image of the Omegan Queen. "Remember when we first met her?"

"Of course!" Jake said with a laugh. "Man ... first day as a janitor, and you managed to destroy her couch, break her fishtank, and set her sound-system to play nothing but Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give you Up'."

"Strange; I seem to recall you were the only one even near the DJ booth that day." Chuckling, Finn said, "Man ... I was sure she was gonna shoot us on the spot, especially when she sent her guards away. Sure as hell didn't expect to pour us a drink and give us a heart-to-heart."

Sighing, Finn lay back on the bed. "It seems only natural now, I suppose; she did run the biggest bar on Omega. She can probably spot heartache from a mile away."

"That, or she can recognize when someone's just having a real bad day ... or when someone could serve better in a different role. Turned out to be quite the barkeeper, didn't you?"

"I got lucky; it just so happens Aria's favorite drink is a Terminus Nightcap. I never told Godot; a shame, relly. He'd be tickled to know he and Aria have the same favorite drink." Finn's smile faded. "And she's gone. Omega's gone. Just ... just gone."

Jake remained silent. Sitting up, Finn noticed that his friend's cartoon face was filled with guilt.

"Jake?"

"I shoulda kept my mouth shut." Jake said, laying his monitor on his front paws.

Finn rubbed the top of his best friend and brother's monitor. "It's not your fault. He didn't destroy Omega because you said so; he planned to do it the whole time."

"I know, but ... man, I still feel bad for saying it." Shaking his head, Jake said, "What the hell are we gonna do, Finn? I mean, was all that firepower from the Reapers? It tore the place apart in seconds! How the hell do we defend against that?"

"I don't know." Finn said, "I still feel like there's something I'm missing. The Illusive Man told me there was only one Reaper, but what we just saw directly contradicts that."

"No kidding. He must have a whole armada."

"But why lie to me? He obviously doesn't see me as a threat, not that I blame him; point of fact, we aren't. So why lie about the Reapers?"

"No need to bluff when you've got a winning hand." Jake said, nodding. "Yeah, I see your point. I gotta say, I'm a bit worried about the others."

"The others are still on Eden Prime, I'd imagine. " Finn said, raising his tone ever so slightly.

"Eden Prime? What are you-"

"Well, our team was on Eden Prime when we were captured." Finn said. "Given that I told them I'd be gone for a few days, I'm pretty sure they're probably still there."

Jake's cartoon face showed concern. "Are you feelin' okay, man?"

Finn sighed and surreptiously activated his internal comm. "Jake, I'm one-hundred percent sure the Illusive Man has this room bugged."

"Oh. Oh! Right!" Aloud, he said, "Er, yeah! They, uh, probably haven't realized what happened yet."

Rolling his eyes, Finn said, "Yeah."

"So now what do we do?" Jake asked.

"Nothing." Finn said with a sigh. "All we can do right now is wait and see what it is the Illusive Man wants from us."

"And," He added via internal comm, "hope that our friends are finding the information we need to keep what happened to Omega from happening to anyone else."

"Yeah." After a few moments, Jake asked, "Er, have you heard from Kyra?"

"What?"

"Don't feign surprise with me; I know you two got an internal channel for yourselves. It's cute."

Blushing, Finn said, "We did give it three-way capability."

"Ah, you didn't have to do that, man."

"Of course I did. You're my best friend." Finn paused; it wasn't the time or place to ask, but both he and Jake needed some happiness after the destruction of Omega. "Actually, I was hoping ... i mean, if you're interested ..."

"Huh?"

Sighing, Finn said, "Would you be my best man?"

Jake's cartoon eyebrows rose completely off his head. "Dude, really? You don't wanna ask Eri or Darsan?"

"They're good friends, but they aren't my brother. Besides, you're coming along; I already talked about it with Kyra. We're thinking Neukara for our honeymoon, and I know how much you love the place." Finn said, resting a hand on the top of Jake's monitor. "I mean, if you're interested."

"Oh, I'm interested!" Jake said, wagging his back end. "and hell yeah, I accept!"

"Thanks, Jake." Finn said, beaming at his brother.

The door opened to reveal Greg Sakamota.

"The Illusive Man wishes to speak with you." Greg said, his voice oddly strained.

"Dude, Greg." Jake said, "Are you okay, man?"

"I'm fine." Greg said briskly.

"You look like hell. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine!" Greg snapped, only to look apologetic a moment later. "I'm ... I'm sorry. I've had a lot on my plate lately."

"Greg." Finn said, "About Omega."

Greg stiffened. "It had to be done. I hate that innocent people had to die, but I don't find fault with the Illusive Man's reasoning; can you look me in the eye and say that the Universe isn't a safer place without Omega?"

Finn wanted to. He wanted to come up with some argument as to why Omega should've been spared its fate, but his thoughts fell to the Blue Suns, the street gangs, the drug smugglers, the extortionists. He thought of those practically in servitude who were forced to mine asteroids until they dropped dead.

Many blamed Aria, but Finn knew better; as her personal bartender, he'd overhead Aria's efforts to protect Omega from the worst of it, but she was ultimately one person against a station of the corrupted.

Greg nodded. "I thought so."

"But what's to stop it all from happening again?" Finn asked. "What's to stop another Omega from cropping up."

"Cerberus." His face full of resolve, Greg stood aside and gestured sharply for Finn to exit the room. With a sigh, Finn and Jake complied.

"Ah, Cresste." The Illusive Man said, his hologram again seated. "Thank you for joining me."

"What can I say?" Finn said, spreading his arms and shrugging. "It's not like I had anything else to do."

"Indeed." The Illusive Man gestured at the chair opposite him. Once Finn and Jake were sitting down, the Illusive Man continued, "My apologies if my earlier demonstration was a bit ... dramatic."

"It was certainly that, yes." Finn said.

"Still, I needed you to see my resolve, my determination to see this through. You may laugh at this, Mister Cresste, but I do not wished to be seen as a monster. Unfortunately, it is hard not to be seen as such while inhabiting the body of a Reaper."

"Imagine that." Jake, said, prompting a surreptious smack from Finn.

The Illusive Man chuckled. "I must admit, when I sought to control the Reapers, this was not how I envisioned it. Still, if there's one thing I know you'll understand, Mister Cresste, it's how to make due with what you have. I seek to do the same; I will use this horror to become a guardian to this galaxy and those who live here. Unfortunately, despite the power I wield, I still require the aid of others, others like Officer Sakamota and, to be blunt, you."

"What exactly do you need my help?" Finn asked.

"I have two direct needs of you, Mister Cresste. The first is as an intermediary with the Shadow Broker; I'd very much like for us to be on the same side, and it is no secret that you have her ear."

"And the second?"

"That is ... a complicated matter." The Illusive Man said, steepling his hands. "One that ties into your abilities as a pilot. It is a lesser matter, certainly, but one that may come up in the fullness of time, should problems arise. I will say that I do not expect you to engage in any manner of combat."

"You don't?" Jake said. "Really?"

The Illusive Man nodded. "I am no fool; I saw your face at the destruction of Omega. Believe it or not, I feel your pain; there were many innocents lost, and I do mourn them. I am not asking you to 'pull the trigger' as it were; merely to speak with the Broker on my behalf and perhaps assist in guiding this vessel along the path to peace."

A starmap appeared above the table between Finn and the Illusive Man.

"To that end." The Illusive Man said, "I'd like your assistance in identifying the next place to be purged."

Finn felt a chill rush through his body. "I hardly think I'm qualified ..."

"You're uniquely qualified." The Illusive Man said. "You've seen quite a few places in your time, experienced the corruption first-hand. More than that, you're a man of special conscience; when you see someone in trouble, you feel compelled to help. Help the galaxy now."

The map swirled around until a familiar planet appeared in view.

"Ilium." The Illusive Man said as he lit a cigarette. "A beautiful planet, but one with a dark side that rivals the worst of Omega, not the least of which is your friends, the Eclipse."

The map shifted again until another planet was visible. "Noveria, a world long since drawn and quartered by corrupt corporations, shielded from the ethics most sentient species consider vital."

The map shifted a third time; somehow, Finn wasn't surprised to find himself looking at Trident.

"Trident, a waterworld with an undercurrent of corruption. While your Shadow Broker has gone to great efforts to curtail much of the negative element, there is so much remaining."

There is something firm about threes; Finn felt certain that the Illusive Man was done, and was therefore surprised when the map changed again, this time bringing up the last world he expected to see.

"Neukara, in many ways a new world that has only recently begun to show signs of corruption." The Illusive Man said. "Is it already too deeply rooted there?"

After taking another pull on his cigarette, the Illusive Man said, "Which one, Finn? Which would you choose for annhilation for the good of the universe?"

Finn stared at the map as it pulled back, the four planets now shining spots in a three-dimensional space. The enormity of what the Illusive Man asked was mind-boggling, and yet Finn didn't doubt for a second that the world he named was as good as gone.

"Hang on a sec!" Jake said, "I mean, you just destroyed Omega, yeah? Surely that'll have some effect on the whole corruption thing."

"Oh, I've no doubt of that." The Illusive Man said. "Already, the remnants of the Blue Suns are massing on Garados to establish a new base of operations. I will deal with them later, of course, but if we truly want to see an effect on the corrupt elements, another example must be made."

"Okay, but right now? I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to give it a few days so the news of Omega gets around?"

"In a few days, other defenses will be in place. Fleets will be mobilized, fleets of soldiers unjustly ordered to defend festering pits of corruption. I would spare their lives if possible; another show of power so soon to the first will establish that such resistance is futile, and that we can strike both swift and hard where necessary."

Jake looked from the Illusive Man to Finn. "C'mon, man, say something!"

"I-I'm thinking."

"You're really considering this? Really? Pointing a finger and destroying a whole planet?"

"I am only asking for Finn's input." The Illusive Man said smoothly. "I will be the one to make the ultimate decision, and take responsiblity of the destruction."

"Yeah, but if Finn's decision influences you, it's as good as pulling the trigger himself!" To Finn, Jake said, "C'mon, man, don't play this game!"

"I will destroy one of these worlds." The Illusive Man said as calmly as a man trying to decide on dessert. "I offer you the chance to make a choice. If you decline, I will have to choose on my own."

"Then we're not gonna-"

"Noveria."

Jake slowly turned to Finn, a look of pure disbelief on his cartoon face. Pointedly not meeting his gaze, Finn said, "If one of these four has to be destroyed, I'd go with Noveria."

"Really?" The Illusive man said, raising an eyebrow. "Care to explain why?"

"You want to strike at the corrupt, you go for their pockets first. Taking out Noveria will effect some of the biggest companies in the galaxy; it might even cripple some of them. That'll effect the companies, the gangs and mercs they employ for their more covert actions, the corrupt government officials secretly on the corporation payrolls ... It's just a better target."

After staring at him for a few moments, the Illusive Man nodded. "I agree. We will head there on the hour."

He motioned for the guards to lead Finn and Jake out of the room. Just as Finn reached the door, the Illusive Man called out, "Thank you for your advice on this matter, Mister Cresste. I can see you will be a valuable and intelligent ally in the months to come."

Finn replied with a brisk nod and a not-quite-successful attempt to flash a smile.

Once they were back in the room, Jake turned on Finn.

"What the hell, man?" Jake's voice demanded via their link. "You just put out a death warrent on an entire planet."

"Don't you think I know that?" Finn replied. "You heard him, Jake, he was gonna target one of them no matter what I did! What if it was Trident? What if it was Neukara? I mean, I'm no fan of Ilium, but I can do basic math well enough to know that it has at least ten times the population of Noveria!"

"It's not about the numbers, man! He's gonna kill everyone on that planet!"

"Then tell me what to do, Jake!" Finn snapped aloud. "Tell me the solution where everyone lives, 'cause the way I see it, that just isn't happening."

Jake's cartoon mouth opened and closed several times.

Sighing, Finn rubbed the top of Jake's monitor. "Look, the mission hasn't changed; we're buying time while the others move around."

When Jake didn't respond, Finn added, "Of course, that doesn't mean we can't try and send a message."

Jake turned to Finn, hope in his eyes. "Hey, yeah! Maybe we can get a warning off to Noveria in time for them to muster up a defense!"

"We've got ..." Finn checked his watch. "Thirty minutes until the hour. That enough time for you to slip through that grate and find your way to the others?"

"Hey, the others, a comm station, the Gradisian; I'll find a way, man."

"Good." Finn jumped on to the bed and fiddled with the air vent for a moment. Once the cover was off, he knelt down and picked up Jake with some difficulty. Grunting with effort, Finn was just able to push Jake through the opening.

Just as Finn started to put the cover back on, Jake said, "Uh, Finn?"

"Yeah, Jake?"

"Sorry about ... well, y'know. I mean, it was a tough choice to get on the spot. I can't imagine how hard it was to keep it cool."

"Null worries, bro." Finn said, flashing his brother a final smile before sliding the vent cover back into place.

Once he was sure Jake was gone, Finn let out a deep sigh and sat down on the bed. Running a hand through his hair, he said, "I just hope God's as forgiving."


	12. Chapter 12 - Xynsational

**Chapter 12**

 **Xynsational**

Glen let out a sigh. She, Eri, and the asari cook Nella backtracked all the way to the shuttle bay with no luck.

"I don't get it." Glen said, scratching her head. "She was right there; how did she just go and wander off?"

"She can move pretty quiet when she wants to." Eri said, mandibles clicking worriedly.

"With your friend's singing, she probably coulda stomped away and you wouldn't have noticed." Nella said with a chuckle.

Glen chuckled as well. "You're right there. I just don't get why she wandered off like a vuestan chasing a butterfly, unless ..."

Eri stopped Glen, barring her way forward with his arm. "Unless?"

"Personal space, Eri."

"What's the downside of the colander?"

"Colander?" Nella asked.

"Er, it's a special colander." Glen said. "Long story. The short of it is that it stops outside influence when worn as a hat."

"Wearing the colander as a hat stops psychic influence." Nella repeated, a smirk on her face. "Oh, good. I thought this was gonna get weird."

"But Hylia said there was a downside."

"Only if you wear it for a long time."

"Glen, that's the woman I love you're talking about. What is the colander going to do to her?"

Glen met his gaze. She was rather impressed when Eri didn't flinch or look away; his eyes remained resolutely locked on hers.

"Look, the colander doesn't block psionic transmissions as much as it prevents the wearer's mind from being effected. It ... solidifies a person's thoughts, keeps them from being changed by outside influences."

"Okay." Nella said, sounding intrigued. "And when you wear it for a long time?"

"Well, at first it just removes distractions, making the user very focused on one thing. Like, obsessively so; nothing else really seems to exist to them. After awhile, however, it'll slow down their thoughts, making them seem a little slow when responding to anything."

"And then ...?"

Glen winced in anticipation of Eri's reaction. "It ... makes it impossible to be influenced by the outside world. The person wearing it falls into a daydream-like state ... that is, unless someone breaks them out of it, which is why I didn't let you go off on your own."

"All of that from a colander?" Nella said. "Where the hell did you find it?"

Eri took a deep breath. Glen didn't know much about turien, but she had the feeling she was looking at a very angry one.

"Look, it's never happened this fast before!" She said hurrying to catch up as Eri started walking away. "The last person I used it on didn't register primary symptoms for three days!"

"Any idea why?" Nella asked.

"Ideas, yeah, but nothing definite. That's the problem with artifacts; sometimes finding out the definites is impossible."

"Xyn!" Eri called out, much to Glen and Nella's shock.

"Maker's Breath, Eri, why not advertise our location to the whole damn station!"

"Xyn! Xyn, where are you!" Eri continued, pulling his shoulder from Glen's grasp.

Glen opened her mouth to tell him to shut the hell up when her eyes fell on an inactive wile lying near a large double-sliding door.

"Oy, Eri!" Glen said, pointing. "Check it out!"

They hurried over to the door and knelt around the door.

"Still warm." Eri said, his fingers brushing the inside of the helmet. "This helmet was taken off less than a minute ago."

Glen opened her mouth to respond when her ears picked up the sound of a woman singing. "You hear that?"

Nella nodded. "Yeah, someone's singing, and it definitely ain't your krogan friend."

From the look on Eri's face, he heard it as well. All three of them slowly turned to look at the double doors through which the singing drifted.

"It's her!" Eri said, his hand already pressing the panel.

The doors slid open to reveal an arboretum filled with plant life. It didn't take long to spot Xyn, as she was standing in the large fountain in the center of the garden wearing nothing more than the colander.

"I'm guessing that's Xyn." Nelda said, eyeing the slender neukaraan's form appreciatively.

"Ah." Glen said as the warmth rushed to her cheeks. "Well, at least she's okay."

"Xyn!" Eri said, hurrying toward Xyn.

She continued singing to herself as though unaware of his presence until he was only a few feet away. Her face broke into a smile as she spotted him.

"Eri, my love." She said, slipping her arms around his neck. "I was just thinking of you."

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I felt hot, really hot. I just had to cool off, and that's when I heard these beautiful plants whispering."

Eri looked at Glen, who shrugged. "No one mentioned that as a side effect before, though to be fair, I've never used it on a neukaraan."

"It's fine." Xyn said, her hands caressing the back of Eri's head. "I'm fine ... especially now that you're here."

Eri offered no resistance as Xyn pressed her wet naked body against him.

Chuckling, Nella said, "Maybe we should give them five minutes?"

Cheeks burning, Glen said, "Uh, Eri?"

"R-right." Eri took Xyn's hands and led her from the fountain. "Xyn, we need to go. Where are your clothes?"

Glen spotted them ... or rather, their shredded remains. "Ah. This could be a problem."

"You tore your clothes off?"

"It felt really hot." Xyn said, pressing against him again.

After looking at Eri for a moment, Glen let out a sigh and started tugging at her shirt knot.

"What are you doing?" Nella asked.

"Look, I can configure the Wile to give her clothes, but with the way they're configured now, she'd still be naked to us. Your clothes are form-fitting and Eri's in turian combat armor, so there's not much of a choice here."

Once the knot was undone, Glen pulled off her shirt, revealing a chain necklace, a black sports bra, and surprisingly pale skin broken only by a cute tattoo of a small winged bunny on her right hip, partially obscured by Glen's shorts and the lacy waistband of her panties.

"Aww." Nella said, her eyes on the tattoo. "That's adorable."

"Not a word." Glen said warningly as she slipped the shirt over Xyn's head. Xyn was nearly as tall as Glen (taller when Glen wasn't wearing her metal boots), but the shirt was large enough once untucked that it hung to Xyn's lower thighs.

Shaking her head, Glen grabbed the largest scrap of Xyn's clothing that remained and made a makeshift halter-top out of it. After a moment's hesitation, she tapped the cloth, giving what little material there was a green and gray-striped pattern.

"Not the best." She admitted, "But it's not like anyone other than us can see me. Now where did her wile end up?"

She spotted the portable hologram generator lying in the fountain.

"You're lucky this tech i s water-proof." Glenda said as she pulled it from the cool water.

A loud rip shot through the air. "Uh, help?"  
Glen turned to see Xyn advancing on Eri, the reinforced sleeve of his combat armor in her hand. There was as fire in her eyes as she continued to approach him with a warm and caring smile that made her intent clear. Nella was already laughing and shaking her head.

"Damn, girl." She said, "And I thought I didn't play around."

"Ah, crap!" Glen quickly stepped between them. Xyn tried to move around her, but Glen moved so that she was always between Eri and Xyn.

Xyn stopped as her eyes finally broke from Eri to meet Glen's. The effect was immediate; her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Glen!" She said, a confused look on her face. "Where did your shirt go?"

"You, uh, borrowed it."

"I ..." She looked down at the shirt in surprise. "Oh. Right."

"We should remove the colander." Eri said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"And if the same influence from before is still around?" Glen asked. "Look; she's clearly at the first stage; we'll keep an eye on her reaction time, and when she starts slowing down, we'll try then, yeah?"

"Glen, this is Xyn we're talking about." Eri said, his gaze falling to her. "I finally found something in the universe worth a damn; I ain't about to let her fade away."

"I know, but if the mental presence is still here, we'll lose her instantly! Worse, if its under Cerberus control, the whole plan's fubar!" Sighing, Glen put her hands on Xyn's shoulders. "I'm sorry; it's just too dangerous to risk unless there's no other choice.

Before Glen could move away, Xyn's hands gently touched the silver ring hanging from Glen's chain necklace.

"She misses you." Xyn said, a sad look on her face.

Glen was speechless for a few moments. Eventually shaking her head, she said, "I know. I'll get back to her one day."

"Yes, you will."

Something about the certainty in Xyn's voice was oddly comforting to Glen. Shaking her head, she said, "Okay, we need to get moving; we've still got to find a way out of here."

"Oh, we're leaving?" Xyn said as Glen reattached her wile.

"Yes." Eri told her, taking her other hand. "Tuck and Nella's friends are waiting in the kitchen while we try to boost their ship."

"Perhaps we should bring her back to the kitchen." Nella said. "I hate to say it, but it might be safer."

"I agree." Glen said, "But she's a package deal with Eri at the moment, and he has more experience boosting ships."

"How did you-" Eri stopped and shook his head. "Well, don't worry; I'll keep an eye on her."

"Good." Glen said, "Now let's get moving; we've already lost enough time."

Fortunately, the delay wasn't quite as bad as Glen expected; the hangar bay currently holding the cargo-running ship known as the Mercurian Hawk wasn't that far from the arboretum. There were only three wiles, but Nella was a known entity on the station anyway, not that anyone paid the group any attention. All the soldiers seemed focused on their assignments, whatever those may have been.

The bay itself was larger than the first, and far more crowded. Ships of all makes and sizes were docked all throughout the chamber. Glen expected the place to be a mess of activity; soldiers searching ships, removing useful materials and tearing ships apart for their base components. An organization like Cerebrus would certainly make use of the ships in every way possible, right down to harvesting any useful air filters.

The hanger was vacant, completely devoid of any life. There wasn't so much as a single guard patrolling the hangar.

"Hello!" Glen shouted. Her cry echoed across the hangar for a few moments before falling silent.

"Okay." Glen said, her eyes darting around for signs of hidden cameras and/or soldiers. "I am not liking this."

"Me either." Nella agreed. "There's no way it should be this easy."

Eri scanned around with his eyepiece for a few moments. "Not detecting any life signs or cloaking fields."

"Robots." Glen suggested.

"No electronic signatures to suggest any." Eri said, though Glen noticed he too was holding his rifle.

"Perhaps they feel security is unnecessary." Xyn suggested. "There seems to be no hangar door."

It was true; while there were plenty of ships, this was clearly a storage space, not a launch bay. Even so, it seemed ridiculous to thing that

It's strange how the absence of trouble can make someone even more nervous that its presence; Glen found herself jumping at the smallest of sounds: the release of coolant in a nearby engine, the dull thud of a ship's hull bumping into each other, the occasional muffled beep of a subroutine activating automatically.

When a blue hand touched her shoulder, Glen let out a shriek and spun about swinging.

Nella was quick enough on her feet to dodge the bulky fist of Headache. "Whoa! Easy there, Glen! We're on the same side, remember?"

"S-sorry." Glen said, running a metal hand through her hair. "Not used to things working out so well."

"Seasoned traveler eh? Me too. I was supposed to be a priestess; Follow the wisdom of the Goddess and all that." She made a face. "That's what mum wanted, anyway. I, on the other hand, thought it'd be more fun to sneak aboard a cargo ship flying to the Shrike Abyssal."

"That where you met Shavan?"

"No, but it is where I met Blessia. We were both kids looking for adventure; unfortunately, the captain of that ship wasn't impressed. He threatened to blow us out of an airlock; fortunately, his wife wore the pants of the operation, and gave us jobs ... as cooks, ironically. Really, in a ship like that, you learn a bit of everything, but officially, we were cooks."

"After awhile, we managed to save up enough to buy our own ship, an old clunker we called the Starshroud." She let out a laugh, blushing slightly. "I feel silly even mentioning it now, but with all the knowledge we'd got from working a cargo ship, we thought we'd go pirate."

"That's an abrupt career change."

"Oh, you telling me you never did something stupid just to make a name for yourself? 'Cause let me tell you right now, I know that's a lie."

Glen couldn't help but smile at the accuracy of the statement. "Fair enough. Still, I'm guessing your dreams of being a pirate queen didn't go so well."

"No, they didn't. We were only barely adults, and our ship was a complete piece of crap."

"They can't all be the Serenity, I suppose." Glen said.

"To be honest, we weren't planning to be pirates as much as thieves; our plan was to use some of the security codes we'd managed to learn during our time with the Glasgott, sneak aboard the ship, load up our ship with as much stuff as we could get our hands on, then get the hell outta there before anyone realized we were there."

She chuckled, but only for a moment. "Engine died on our first mission. Just blew up on us right after we landed. We frantically ran over there to try and fix it, but we only knew how to make small repairs; reconstructing the engine was way beyond us. Didn't stop us from trying, though; Blessia was rigging a sort of solar sail when the ship's captain found us."

Nella sighed. "I don't know what was worse; me pulling a stun gun on him only for it to fall apart in my hands and stun me, the solar sail working just long enough for our ship to roll over, Blessia crying that she was sorry and didn't mean it ... or the captain and his first officer looking at the two of us and laughing."

"Ouch." Glen said, smiling. "I hate it when a plan goes all critical miss."

"Well, it turned out all right. The Captain was a decent fellow named Christopher Roberts; turns out it was his cargo we were trying to steal when we admitted it, all he asked was for how we managed to sneak onboard. When we told him, he gave this big speech about everyone deserving a chance at an honest life, then offered us jobs. As cooks. Again."

Sighing, Nella said, "I was still burning with the embarrassment of our failed attempt, so I went along with it just as meekly as Blessia. Unlike on the Glasgott, however, the Captain Roberts actively pushed us to learn other roles within the ship. Long story short, Blessia was the ship's doctor and I was its security officer."

"Ah." Glen said with a grin. "Irony. Plenty of that in my line of work."

"Yeah, well I had a moment of clarity a year later after finding a pair of saboteurs who'd been sneaking around the ship. It wasn't just something to do to bide time anymore; I liked my job. I prided myself on keeping everyone safe. I'd become ..." She shuddered here. "Respectable."

"Truly a horrible fate." Glen said with a note of good-natured sarcasm.

Nella laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, well ... eventually Captain Roberts retired to work on other projects. We helped him land the Maximus on a small garden world in the middle of the Kepler Verge, I forget the name. He made it clear he did not intend to leave, but was kind enough to recommend us to the salarian cargo runner who supplied the colony; that was Shavan ... two years ago."

"And now Shavan and Blessia are going to be parents." Glen paused, trying to imagine what a salarian/human hybrid would look like. "Like an anime character."

"Excuse me?"

Shaking her head, Glen said, "Just thinking out loud. I don't suppose you've seen your ship yet."

"Not yet." Nella said. "Don't worry; I'm keeping an eye out. It's a refitted hanar vessel; looks like an onion with two stubby wings and a tail."

Glen looked around the hangar and saw no vessel resembling flying produce. At least, she saw no onions. There were plenty of potatoes, though; cargo ships tended to not vary much in terms of design; essentially being large armored rooms for storing things. Still, there were a few single-person flyers which Glen found herself comparing to artichoke petals or lettuce leaves.

"Ugh." Glen said, shaking her head in irritation. "Now I want a salad."

"How about you?" Nella asked. "What's your story?"

"What makes you think I have a story?"

"Well, for one, you seem to have a strange insistence on green-and-gray."

"Lucky colors."

"And the way you just changed the colors of the dress?"

"Cleverly concealed dyes."

"And then there's those machines on your arms. I believe you call them Headaches?"

"Just Headache." Glen said automatically. "They come as a pair."

"And then there's the mysterious her."

"Her who?"

"The Her Xyn said missed you." Nella said, giving Glen a knowing look. "I saw the way you reacted. She's your girlfriend?"

"My wife." Glen said.

"Ah." Nella waited expectantly.

Her questioning eyes annoyed Glen until she sighed and said, "It's a long story."

"We've got plenty of hangar left to search."

Frowning, Glen said, "You're a bit nosy, aren't you?"

"I'm a security officer. It's my job to be nosy. Besides, I told you about me." Nella rubbed Glen's arm and said, "C'mon, Glen, tell me how you met at least."

Glen let out a long sigh. "We were both running, me from my past and her from her future. Trite, I know, but true. We ended up travelling together after I accidentally landed in the lake where she was bathing one night. Long story."

"I'll bet." Nella said.

Glen put her hands behind her head and leaned back slightly as she walked, her thoughts going to days long past. "We wandered across Vinta for two years, getting into all sorts of trouble. We were friends, but we argued a lot. She was always teasing me, playing pranks ... until this."

Nella eyed the silver ring hanging from Glenda's chain. "She proposed?"

"Not exactly. Let's just say the ring and the necklace it was linked too got us both into a big pile of trouble. When it was said and done, however, we both realized the true nature of our feelings." Cracking a wistful smile, Glen said, "Of course, her parents weren't exactly thrilled about it. Still, I wasn't about to give up on her; I left Longshore to make a name for myself, and I damn sure did just that. What started as a few little inventions became a popular shop and then a profitable business. A year later, Gineritek Incorporated was one of the biggest technology companies in Ronisgald."

"I kept in touch with Teria; we even snuck away from our responsibilities to go on another adventure or two. I was worried that she'd find someone else, but I needn't have bothered; if anything, she missed me even more than I missed her." Shaking her head, Glen said, "And then Gineritek and Zuen industries merged. Suddenly, I was the head of the biggest tech company on the planet. Once the deal was finalized, I took the first ship to Longshore, walked right up to Teria, and asked to be her first. We were bonded and married the next day."

"Wow." Nella said, a smile on her face. "I see why she misses you. Not sure why you're here when you could be with her, though."

Chuckling, Glen said, "That, Nella, is a much longer and way more complicated story. For now, I think we need to focus and find your ship."

"Well, all right, but I'll be askin' about that once we're outta here."

A few minutes later, they rounded a large Martian towing vessel only for Nella to point and say, "There she is!"

There indeed she was, looking much as Nella described it: a large sphere with a pointed top and a stubby wing jutting from either side. Two long fins extended from the back; Nella mentioned them looking like tails, but they looked more like wings to Glen.

"The Centurian Hawk." Nella said proudly.

"Would've gone with 'Flying Onion' myself."

"What?"

"Er, nevermind." Glen patted Nella's shoulder and said, "You go do your thing while I go get Eri and Xyn."

"Right."

"And be careful!" Glen called out to Nella's rapidly retreating back. Sighing, Glen said, "Oh, what's the use; they never listen to that one anyway."

Finding Eri wasn't as much trouble as Glen expected; once she got close enough, Glen was able to hone in the sounds.

"All right." Glen said loudly, "We've found the ship!"

She waited, smirking at the sound of armor being hastily put on. Part of her knew she should be angry; this wasn't the time or place, after all. Still, with the effect of the colander, she supposed some leniency was appropriate.

Eri and Xyn came around the corner, both flushed in their own way.

"We were, uh-"

"Ah, good. There you are." Glen said, not hiding her smirk in the slightest. "We found Shavan's ship. Since I'm certain you two are staying focused, I'd like you to stay with Nella as she gets the ship up and running."

"Uh, right." Eri said.

Glen led them through the hanger only to stop just as they got within view of the Centurian Hawk. It was faint, but Glen could just hear it; the sound of metal clicking against metal."

"Did you hear that?" She asked, worry slowly spreading in her chest.

"I do now." Eri said, readying his rifle. "What is it?"

Glen listened to it for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know, but its coming from all around us."

The clicking grew louder now, varying wildly in both volume and pitch. Soon the clicking seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"We need to get to the ship." Glen said, moving to take the lead.

She only made it a few steps with something small and metal stepped into her path brandished a tiny glowing tail blade.

As others crawled on the floor and over long dead vehicles, Glen sucked in a breath.

"Skrievers." She muttered as she raised Headache for the coming fight.


	13. Chapter 13 - Pod People

**Chapter 13**

 **Pod People**

Sherle peered around the narrow corridor for a moment before motioning the others to follow. They did so quietly; they were away from the training areas and living quarters now, an a part of the station frequented mostly by nervous techs who would doubtlessly pull the alarm at the first sign of trouble, putting a swift end you their mission.

It was rather impressive, Sherle thought to herself, that no one had tripped any alarms as of yet. She supposed the Illusive Man was more focused on Finn, just as Glen suggested, but given their group, it was almost stunning that no one screwed up.

Then again, they had been trained as Shadow Broker Agents. Even Darsan, normally the antithesis of stealth, was doing an impressive job of remaining silent. His massive hands and feet barely made a sound as he slowly followed Hylia and Sherle through the corridors.

Mirabelle did a great job spotting for them; while her own scanners were limited, those attached to the PIM device were more than capable of detecting trouble in enough time for their group to hide. Eventually, the CIC's directions led them to a very sturdy-looking door.

"All right." Hylia said, putting on her tech-glove. "Let's see what I can do here."

She moved to put her hand on the door when it slid open, revealing a rather annoyed-looking human.

"What the hell?" The man said, eyes narrowing. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Er, fixing the door?" Hylia said in a questioning tone, like a kid guessing a question suddenly asked by a teacher.

Sherle winced at the obvious lie. Fortunately, the man was too annoyed to notice.

"There's nothing wrong with the damn door! Do you morons even read the reports?"

His eyes fell on Darsan. "And what the hell are you doing here? I thought all elcor were on Kappa Deck."

"Offended; are you profiling me?"

Before the man could open his mouth, Darsan advanced on the man. "Angry; I will have you know I am as capable as any other tech officer!"

The elcor's monotone voice may not have been intimidating, but his massive frame was. The man backed away from the elcor, raising his hands.

"I didn't mean-"

"Vindictive; that's it. I'm going to report you to your supervisor! What's your identification number?"

The man's face went pale. "Now, now." He said, "No need for that; I just wasn't expecting anyone down here, that's all."

"Expectantly; that's all …?"

The man swallowed. "That's all, sir."

"Slightly mollified; good. Now, since you've clearly misreported the actual problem, maybe you'd like to show it to us instead?"

"Er, right away, sir!" The man gave a nervous salute before swiftly moving away from the door, Darsan following behind him.

Sherle nudged the open-mouthed Hylia and nodded meaningfully at the retreating form of Darsan. The drell agent quickly recovered and followed Sherle into the room beyond.

It was certainly a large chamber, though it wasn't all readily visibly. There was a massive pillar in the center of the chamber, presumably the secondary data core Mirabelle mentioned. In addition to it, however, there were a large number of smaller pillars placed throughout the room, each topped with a mess of wires and tubes that crisscrossed the ceiling. The Cerberus officer guided them to one such pillar.

"Resonance feed's been going haywire for a few hours." The officer explained as holographic screens appeared around the pod. "I've checked all the others; it's just this one."

Sherle didn't respond; from the glowing displays, she'd just realized what the pillars were, or more accurately, what they contained.

Hylia must've realized it as well, but she quickly started tapping at one of the panels. "No strange solar interference?"

"Not since our last absorption, ma'am." The officer said.

"Absorption?"

"Yes, ma'am. Power grid's clear, no overloads or broken nodes."

This made Sherle and Darsan exchange curious glances. Unfortunately, there was no way to ask more about the absorption without sounding suspicious.

"Hmm." Hylia said, rubbing her chin as she surveyed a screen. "From the echo, it looks to be something in the station. Let me see if I can get something on the scanners."

After a few moments, Sherle noticed Hylia's eyes widened. The officer must've noticed too, for he asked, "What's wrong?"

Hylia hesitated for a few moments before tapping at the screen. The footage from a camera feed showed an image of the shuttle bay.

"Echo's definitely in there." Hylia said, "I'm trying to localize it, but there's a lot of interference."

"Interference?" The officer said, raising an eyebrow. "Any idea what's causing it?"

"I dunno. Radiation, maybe?"

The officer frowned. "Strange. Might be a problem with the radiation shielding or the rad scrubbers."

"Or both." Hylia said, shooting Sherle a furtive glance. Sherle understood perfectly; they needed the officer to go away.

"The residual radiation might be an issue." Sherle said.

The officer shrugged. "It's never been a problem before."

"Still, maybe you should get a team in there to clear out the radiation." Sherle said. "Could you contact maintenance?"

The officer looked reluctant, but a smile and a pleading look from Sherle made him cave. "All right, ma'am; I'll be back in a minute."

Once the officer was across the chamber, Hylia gave Darsan a playful punch in the shoulder. "Damn, Darsan, I didn't know you were so sneaky."

"Faking modesty; just one of my many talents." Darsan said.

Sherle snorted. "He means it's just something every manager learns naturally. Y'know, lying and bluffing."

"Mildly insulted; Both necessary for the position in this competitive age."

Shaking her head, Sherle said, "So what's up with the resonance echo?"

"Oh, right." Hylia said, turning back to the console. "It's Jake!"

"What?" Sherle said, her and Darsan crowding around Hylia. Sure enough, the scanners identified a resonance echo within the metal frame of a robot dog that was sneaking through the hangar.

"He looks confused." Hylia said, shaking her head. "Like he can't find something he'd looking for."

"Alarmed; the Gradisian." Darsan said. "It's not there."

Hylia made the camera pan around. Sure enough, there was no sign of the quarian fighter.

"Probably either jettisoned or stored in another bay." Sherle said. It didn't really change anything; there wasn't enough room in the Gradisian for it to be a viable means of escape for the rest of the crew.

She opened her mouth to say as much to the others when she noticed the guard heading their way. "Incoming!"

Hylia quickly deactivated the camera moments before the officer reached them.

"Something's wrong with my communications terminal." He said.

"Really?" Sherle said. "I'll go take a look at it. Could you go and speak with the cleaners in the meantime? Those radiation patches really should be cleared up before there's a problem."

The officer started to argue when Darsan cleared his throat loudly. His face slightly pale, his gaze returned to Sherle, who graced him with her best smile.

"Of course, ma'am." He said, "I'll take care of it immediately."

"Thank you, Officer …"

"Radley, Ma'am. Kenneth Radley."

"Ken." Sherle said, smiling at him again. "We'll let you know the moment we get a clear reading on the source of the resonance echo."

As Officer Radley walked away, his cheeks slightly red, Hylia murmured, "Nice work."

Sherle let out a snort before turning back to the pillar. "Yeah, yeah. At least that should keep him out of our hair for a few minutes. Might even be enough time to figure out who these people are."

With a few taps at the screen, Hylia changed the displays back to their original configuration. The glowing panels surrounding the pillar now showed such interesting things as pulse rate, brain activity, and body temperature. Of more immediate interest, however, was the screen that showed exactly what lay inside the pillar; a human male.

"Surprised; cryo-suspension?"

Hylia shook her head. "Hard to say; from these readings, he's definitely in some kind of suspended animation, but I'm not seeing the usual equipment for cryogenics here."

"Whatever it is, his brain is active." Sherle said, scrolling through the data records.

"Curious; isn't that normal? I've heard that people in cryo-suspension still show some mental activity."

"Yes, but I'm not talking about dreams." Sherle stepped aside so they could see the screen better. "Look; activity spikes all over the place, one not long after we got here."

"Hang on." Hylia said before hurrying over to another pillar. The holographic screens surrounding it indicated it held an asari woman.

"Maker's breath." Hylia said, "The same spikes are here too."

Sherle checked another pillar, this one housing a quarian who looked to be little more than a teenager. It didn't take long to find the same spikes in his brain activity monitor.

"Thoughtful; there are at least fifty of these pods in here." Darsan said, "And given the size of this place, there may be more."

Sherle didn't respond; she was still staring at the brain patterns of the human male. She'd been scrolling back through the records, not really sure what she was looking for, until it hit her.

"My god." She said, squinting at the screen. The characters were small, but there was no mistaking it. "This guy's over two-hundred years old."

Hylia was at her side in an instant, Darsan following as quickly as he could. Sherle pointed at the date of the record on display, her eyes going to the display showing the face of the man within the pillar. he was a thin fellow with a beard that looked less like an attempt to grow facial hair and more like the guy just couldn't be bothered to shave often. He was fairly young, probably thirty to thirty five, forty at most in Sherle's opinion.

"Amazed; but he looks young for a human."

"Definitely not cryo-suspension." Hylia said. "That slows down the metabolism; it doesn't make it stop."

"But their brains are still functioning." Sherle said, rubbing her chin. "Their patterns at the moment look like mere dreaming, but something must be causing the sudden spikes."

"Something indeed."

The voice from Sherle's wrist made the three of them jump. A light shone from the PIM device on Sherle's hand, displaying a small hologram of Mirabelle.

"If you would," Mirabelle asked, her hands clasped in front of her dress. "Please allow my skriever to interface with the pod systems."

Sherle fished the skriever out of her pack and held it up. After a few moments, the skriever uncoiled and turned to face the panel. Sherle tried not to fidget as its small metal legs tapped against the palms of her hands.

After making a loud beep, the skriever pressed the tip of its tail against the screen.

Mirabelle closed her eyes for a few moments. "Interesting. Very interesting."

"Anxious; what? What is it?"

"These people are all linked into the station." Mirabelle said. "They're all tied to the same system."

"What system?" Sherle asked.

"Hard to say. I'll know more once I'm in the network. Go ahead and hook me into the secondary data core, and we'll see what I can do."

Sherle carried the skriever to the massive pillar in the center of the chamber. The secondary core was a mass of technology, nothing like the sleek Glyche Core. Nevertheless, the size of it was impressive. The consoles and control panels around the secondary core were attached to the railing surrounding it.

"Tentative." Darsan said as Sherle set the skriever on one of the consoles. "I had a thought; could the Illusive Man be using these people like CPUs? Y'know, to increase processing power for … er, something?"

"Processers are in no short supply." Hylia said, "And despite popular belief, they're much more powerful than a living brain."

"Which means whatever the Illusive Man is doing needs something else, something a brain provides that even his technology can't compensate for." Hylia said, frowning. "I wonder."

"What?" Sherle asked.

Hylia shook her head. "I need to make a call. I'll be right back."

"Incredulous; what, are you going to use a pay phone?" Darsan said, but Hylia was already walking away from the core. Darsan started to follow, but Sherle raised her hand to stop him.

"Give her a sec; I'm sure if it's important, she'll tell us. She's stuck here too, after all."

Grunting, Darsan turned back to the core. "Annoyed; when did our lives become filled will all these damn secret organizations; "

"When Cerberus blew up J-27." Sherle gave Darsan a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Mirabelle's eyes opened. "Ah! Finally! No more being confined to that wretched place!"

"You find something?"

"Quite a bit, actually. It's going to take me some time to process it all. For now though, let's check on our sleeping friends." Her eyes shone as Mirabelle processed information. To Sherle's surprise, Mirabelle's expression became one of confusion.

"That doesn't make sense." She said, frowning.

"What?" Sherle asked. "What doesn't make any sense?"

"The way they're linked together … it's almost like they're being used as a navigational computer."

"Mystified; navigational computer? On a station? What would be the point, and why have it like this instead of a normal one?"

Before Sherle could respond, a look of shock fell over Mirabelle's face.

"Oh my." She said as though even she knew it didn't cover the situation. Before either Darsan and Sherle could ask, Mirabelle brought an image up on the console.

Darsan and Sherle stared at it for a long moment. Sherle was aghast, and she was certain Darsan felt the same even if he couldn't show it.

Consoles started beeping all around the room. Sherle hurried over to the nearest pillar.

"Mental activity is spiking." Sherle said when she realized the truth; why the Illusive Man needed actual minds configured into a system normally meant for starships. Before she could respond, however, a great shudder ran through the deck, making her lose her footing and bang her head into one of the pillar pods, at which point her universe went black.


	14. Chapter 14 - Tuckered Out

**Chapter 14**

 **Tuckered out**

Tuck waited until the tremor faded before turning his attention to his two human companions.

"That happen often?" He asked.

The lanky red-headed fellow shook his head. "Nuthin' like that, guv."

Tuck thought about it for a few more moments before shaking his head. He'd be the first to admit that he wasn't the brightest fellow, but he felt that he made up for that with sheer determination. That was what pushed him through all the cooking classes, and that's what helped him focus on his goal.

"How are our friends?" Tuck asked the stocky blonde human. "Er, Dave?"

"David." The human replied, his tone terse.

"Right. Well?"

David sighed. "They're fine; breathing and heart-rates are normal."

"Sleeping like babies." The red-head said as he started working on the hatch console. "Best part is, when they wake up, they'll just think they fell asleep after enjoying lunch."

Tuck grimaced. While he knew drugging the stew was a great way for them to get into the room, he didn't like the idea of his cooking being altered.

"Oh, relax!" The red-head said, patting Tuck on the back without taking his eyes of the console. "It's only temporary; and hey, the enjoyed it, didn't they? Ate every last bit."

"Of course they did." Tuck grunted, allowing himself a moment of pride.

"A krogan chef." David said, shaking his head.

"Not just a krogan chef." The red-head said, "A good krogan chef. Ha!"

Tuck could only sigh at this. He understood their point; the krogan weren't exactly known for gourmet cooking. No, blowing things up was much more there game. It was only recently that Primarch Wrex expressed a desire in making an effort to bring culture to Tuchanka. It could've been worse, he supposed. He could've been the krogan sent to art school. Besides, he liked cooking.

Tuck's thoughts were interrupted when David said, "Uh, Fred? Not to rush ya, but these clowns aren't gonna be sleeping forever."

"Ease off, mate. This is tricky work 'ere. I get it wrong, and someone's gotta stay behind to work the hatch. Let me tell ya now, if that happens, it ain't gonna be me."

"It's a simple remote activation algorithm." David said, eyes narrowed at his friend. "It doesn't have to be pretty; just make it work."

"Yeah, and if they figure out I put it there, we're up shit creek. I gotta do it sneaky-like ... now stop buggin' me."

Fred waved a hand dismissively at David, who snorted and shook his head before turning to Tuck. "So. Bounty hunter, huh?"

"Bah. Not for over a decade." Tuck said. "Dangerous work; never cared for it, really."

"Really? Sounds like fairly easy money if you're a good shot."

Tuck shook his head. "Need more than that, Dave. Gotta be a good tracker to find 'em, gotta be a good pilot to chase 'em down, gotta have a hell of an eye to make sure you've got the right mark, and you've got to be a good medic for those times when you need 'em alive but are forced to drop 'em to bring 'em in. If that ain't enough, then you gotta be on the lookout for friends and family looking for retribution. Like, forever. If that ain't bad enough, you've got te be an exceptional negotiator; you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get even a reputable employer to pay the incurred tax, not to mention expenses."

The look on David's face was priceless. Shaking his head, David said, "Forget I said anything."

One of the soldiers slumped against the wall began to stir.

"Uh, guys?" David said.

Tuck raised a hand. "Fred?"

Fred tapped rapidly at the controls for a few more seconds before nodded. "Good to go."

"All right." Tuck pulled a small vial from one of his pouches and knelt by the fallen guards. Careful to open the vial away from his own face, he then proceeded to wave it under the nose of the soldier.

The soldier's eyes flew open. Clutching his nose as though it were on fire, the poor fellow let out a strangled yell.

"Oy!" Tuck said, smiling at the fellow and clapping him on the shoulder. "There you are! As good as new."

"What ... what happened?" the soldier said, eyes darting from Tuck to David and Fred. His hand went to his holster, where his gun was still safely stored.

"Easy there." Tuck said, hoisting the solder to his feet. "Sorry about that, Lieutenant. I guess I went a little overboard with the spacum in that batch of stew. Don't worry; most people have a slight allergic reaction to it in large doses. Your head should clear up in a few minutes."

"R-right." The soldier said. "Did ... did we recieve any commands?"

"Nope." David said. "Everything's been quiet."

"Good." Shaking his head, the soldier shakily approached his console. Tuck waved the vial under the other two guards with practiced ease, his other hand going for the stun pistol under his apron in case the lieutenant noticed Fred's handiwork.

The lieutenant breathed a sigh of relief. "No alerts. That's a relief."

"I'm really sorry." Tuck said, pretending to be bashful. "Silly mistake on my part. Still, no harm no foul, eh?"

"It was a good stew." The soldier admitted. "I've never seen someone mix pineapple and beef."

"Tasty, right?" Tuck chuckled and patted the soldier's shoulder. "I'll make sure to tell your usual cooks here to lay off the spacum in the future; should prevent any other accidental knock-outs. Or hell; make it as is for anyone with insomnia. One way to get some sleep, eh?"

The lieutenant let out a laugh as Tuck patted him good-naturedly on the shoulder. Fred and David helped the other two soldiers as Tuck headed for the door, reclaiming his pot and ladle along the way. The other soldiers were a bit shaken, but seemed no worse for wear.

Just as Tuck reached for the door control panel, the lieutenant's control panel started beeping loudly.

Tuck, Fred, and David froze in place as the soldiers quickly moved to their posts. Tuck was certain they'd been found out until the lieutenant said, "Proximity alert; incoming ship."

"Outgoing?" One of the other soldiers asked.

The lieutenant shook his head. "Incoming. Someone's approaching from outside. Small ship, three life-signs."

"Is it a threat?"

The lieutenant gave him a look. "Hardly. Shields are barely functioning and there are no weapon systems. Looks like a small transport shuttle or a large escape pod."

"And they're coming toward us?" The soldier shook his head. "Not the brightest, are they? Well, bright or not, I'll have 'em in three ... two ... got 'em."

The lieutenant nodded after a few moments. "Nice shot. Bringing them to Hangar C-9."

"Hold on." said the soldier who had thus far remained silent. "There's a radiation leak in C-9."

"Understood. Redirect it to storage hangar G-3. Alert security and tell them to hurry or there won't be anything left to interrogate."

The lieutenant glanced back at Tuck, David, and Fred. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nah. Just makin' sure I didn't leave nuthin'." Tuck tapped the ladle to his head in an impromptu salute. "Carry on fighting the good fight."

Once they were outside and away from any members of Cerberus they could see, David said, "That's where our ship was stored."

"You sure?" Tuck asked, even though he had a pretty good feeling he knew the answer.

"I'm the one who dug through the system and found the damn thing. What did they mean by 'nothing left to interrogate?"

"Somethin' tells me Nella and yer friends are gonna find out." Fred shook his head. "A shame; I think Nella was sweet on me."

"She shot at you." David said, a look of disbelief on his face, to which Fred just shrugged.

"Yeah, but in a playful kinda way." He gave his friend a goofy smile. David responded by rolling his eyes and turning back to Tuck.

"What do we do?"

Tuck snorted. "We go help, of course."

"But we aren't even armed!" David said. "What are we gonna do, yell at ... whatever the hell's in there?"

Tuck sighed, but he knew the man had a point. "All right, tell you what; you two go back and fill Shavan and Blessia in on the plan. I'll go to G-3 and see if I can't help sort out whatever mess they've gotten into."

"Screw that, man." Fred said even as David nodded in agreement. "I ain't runnin' from a good scrap and I don't need no fancy weapons; just gimmie the ladle, that'll suffice."

Tuck stared at him wordlessly for a few moments before asking, "Before this whole mess, you were the ship's cook, weren't you?"

Fred grinned. "Repairman."

Glen sent three skrievers skittering away with a punch that left a dent in the metal floor of the hangar bay. Despite the greater strength Headache provided, she was used to fighting opponents her size or bigger.

"Ugh." She said, shaking her head. "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but Glyche? Here? By the Creator."

"Glyche?" Eri asked, as he blasted one of the insect-like robots into scrap metal. Behind him, Xyn sent a few flying with a wave of her hand, the Neukaran magic more than a match for the small bots.

"It would take way too long to explain." Glen ducked just as a skriever leapt at her, energy blade narrowly missing her neck by less than an inch.

Nella slapped a fresh heat sink into her pistol. "All right; how do we deal with this?"

"Like we're already doing." Glen said before dodging another airborne skriever and backhanding it with enough force to send it smashing against the bulkhead of a krogan shuttle.

"We could take cover in the ship-" Eri said.

"-At which point they'd slice it into little bits to get the creamy center ... the creamy center being us. Think things through, Eri."

Eri blasted two skrievers in mid-air before smashing a third with the butt of his rifle. "You sound like my mother."

Glen sent another leaping Glyche, using Headache's energy shield to hit the little robot away like a tennis ball. "Look, just keep shooting; there can't be an indefinite number of these things."

"How do you know?" Eri asked

"Like I said, I'll tell ya all about the Glyche later. Right now, just keep firing and try not to get diced!"

"Sure thing, Mom."

Glen shot a glare at Eri before turning her attention on the next batch of skrievers, only for the bug-like machines to suddenly scurry away.

A quick glance around the immediate area showed all of the skrievers suddenly in retreat. In a matter of moments, they were alone in the hangar.

"Uh, yeah." Glen said, unable to quash a note of uncertainty in her voice. "And stay out!"

Eri, however, didn't relax in the slightest. "I don't like this."

"I hear ya." Glen said. "Everyone stay alert. Speaking of alert, you okay, Xyn?"

When Xyn didn't respond, Glen looked around and found the Neukaran gone. "Son of a ..." Smacking Eri in the arm, Glen said, "You were supposed to be watching her!"

"Huh? She's ..." Eri's eyes went wide when he realized that she was not in fact right behind him. "By the ... Xyn! Xyn, honey, where are you?"

"Be careful." Glen said as Eri hurried away in search of his love. "It ain't like skrievers to just give up like that ... and for the love of the Creator, stay focused!"

"Right." With a bob of his head in Glen's direction, Eri jogged into the crowded hangar and was soon out of sight.

Glen turned back to Nella only to find the asari smirking at her.

"What?" Glen asked a bit testily.

"Well-oiled machine, this." Nella said, still smirking.

Rolling her eyes, Glen said, "All right, let's get moving; the sooner we get to your ship, the safer I'll feel."

They hurried to the entry ramp of the Centurion Hawk and entered the ship cautiously. They needn't have bothered; the ship was empty.

"Nice place." Glen said as they moved through the ship toward the bridge.

"Should be." Nella said. "Dave treats her like his baby. Broke his heart when she was dragged into this monstrosity."

It was a comfortable little ship, the sort of vessel smugglers and cargo runners alike preferred due to the large amount of compartments both hidden and otherwise.

As they entered the bridge area, Glen commented, "I always wanted a ship like this."

"Can't say I'm surprised." Nella said. "You strike me as the type."

"Oh?" Glen asked, raising an eyebrow at the asari. "And what type might that be?"

"Scoundrel. Troublemaker. The kind of attitude that only follows the rules when they can't find a way around them. Perfect attitude for a smuggler."

"I never said anything about smuggling."

"You didn't have to. Mum always told me that even straight-laced cargo runners have to have a bit of smuggler in them. Ya pretty much have to these days, especially if you're runnin' through the Terminus Systems. Can't bend the rules, and you might as well jettison your cargo out into space."

Glen couldn't help but grin; Nella was right, of course, but bending the rules took on a whole new meaning when Glen was involved. She scratched the back of her rune hand, the Anti-ka Maru glowing slightly in response.

Several loud clanks made Nella and Glen look up.

"What was that?" Glen asked.

"Gimmie a sec." After a few moments, Nella said, "Huh. Looks like we got a ship incoming."

"Cerberus?"

Nella shook her head. "Scanners say it's an old Batarian ship; looks like a converted troop transport to me. You see a lot of those around the Terminus systems."

"Okay, but what is it doing in Artemis Tau?" Glen asked.

Nella gave him an odd look. "Artemis Tau?"

"That's what I said." Glen said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I mean, there's nothing out here but Cerberus's little base. We at least were looking for it."

"What does that have to do with Artemis Tau?" Nella asked, sounding more than a little confused. "We're in Sigurd's Cradle."

Now it was Glen who looked confused. "No, we definitely snuck on board in Artemis Tau."

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell ya." Nella said, "We were delivering supplies to Sanctum when we got picked up. Two of their bigger ships just jumped in and brought us to their little sun base."

Glen and Nella stared at each other for a long moment. Indeed, it was the appearance of the ship in question that broke them from their thoughts.

"Holy hell." Glen said, "Look at the scoring on the underside of the hull. Looks like they had a rough time of it. Have you seen that kind of damage before?"

"Yeah, actually. We use magnetized crates to keep cargo from gettin' tossed around. When the coils start going, the crate's will sometimes scrape along the cargo bay. Makes a hell of a racket, and the scraped sides of the crates kinda look like that, though maybe not so bad."

They watched as the ship was placed in the center of the hangar. A massive cage surrounded the ship, effectively sealing the ship's passengers inside.

After staring at the ship on Nella's screen for a few moments, Glen said, "I gotta know who's in there."

"I'm with you." Nella said, rising from her chair.

"No offence, Nell, but you need to stay and get the ship ready to go; if what you told me is true, I think we're gonna be wanting to get outta here in a hurry."

"If it's true?"

"Like I said, no offence." Glen said, giving Nella a kind smile. "Besides, I'm just indulging curiosity, is all. Lock the ramp behind me, and keep an eye out for the others. Oh, and if Eri and Xyn show up, make sure they stay here; the last thing I need is to have to go chasing them down at the last minute."

"Glen!" Nella called out as Glen headed for the ramp. When Glen turned, Nella just sighed and shook her head. "I was gonna ask you to not do anything stupid, but I can tell that's a waste of breath. Just try not to blow up this place until I secure our way outta here, okay?"


	15. Chapter 15 - Calling Home

**Chapter 15**

 **Calling Home**

Sherle spun about as the door opened, only to find the last person she expected to see running toward her full speed.

"Jake!' She said, kneeling down to catch him as he barreled into her.

"Sherle!" Jake said, his cartoon face full of joy. "Boy, am I glad to see you. The Illusive Man is completely off his rocker! He blew up Omega?"

"What?" Darsan, Sherle, and Hylia said simultaneously.

Jake nodded. "Finn and I were there; the Illusive Man gave the order, and then they just carved the station up into little bits!"

This brought a moment of silence. True, none of them cared much for Omega, but to hear it was simply obliterated was sobering to say the least.

"Look, there's no time." Jake said, "Noveria's next; we gotta warn them! I tried to get to the Gradisian, but they moved it somewhere!"

"So that's why you were in there." Sherle said.

Jake nodded. "I was gonna use that super-secret quantum thingy to talk to Liara."

"Quantum Entanglement Communicator." Sherle said, nodded.

"Yeah, but they moved the Gradisian, and I can't get a trace on it."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance." Mirabelle said.

Jake looked around for the source of the voice. "Uh, excuse me?"

Mirabelle's hologram projected from Sherle's PIM device. She smiled at Jake and said, "Ah, a kindred spirit I see."

Jake's eyes went wide. "Whoa."

"Now that I've regained control of my skrievers, I should be able to access your ship from remote. Would you lend me your assistance?"

"Uh ..."

"She's a friend, Jake." Sherle said.

"Agreed. She's been very helpful so far."

Jake looked from Sherle to Darsan for a moment before nodding. "Well, if my friends trust you, then I do to. What do you want me to do?"

"I'll need you to link into the computer system, preferably somewhere with an indirect connection to the Secondary Memory Core; I'm risking the Illusive Man noticing me enough as it is. One of the support pods, perhaps?"

"Got it." Hylia said, turning to the pod with the human male. "I've already hacked it and everything."

Jake approached the pillar, his monitor cocking to one side.

"Jake?" Sherle asked.

"I dunno; something about this feels ... familiar."

"Familiar?" Sherle paused, remembering the resonance echo they detected earlier. It seemed like it was coming from Jake then.

Jake stared at the pillar for a few moments before shaking his head. "Ah, forget about it. We gotta tell Liara before Noveria gets turned into dust."

Sherle and Hylia helped hook Jake's interface cables into the pod systems. Jake sat down and laid his head on his front paws, a worried look on his face that increased as the minutes passed.

"That should be fine." Mirabelle said. "Now Jake, just relax; this won't take but a second."

It took ten seconds, in fact. When all was said and done, however, Liara's face appeared on Jake's monitor.

"Thank the Goddess." She said, "You're all right!"

Something in her tone struck Sherle as odd. "You seem surprised."

"I am. I thought you were caught in the supernova."

The room was silent for a moment. "The supernova?"

"Yes, the supernova in the Macedon system. Kyra barely managed to get out of the system in time; she's been beside herself. Finn's okay too, right?"

"Yeah, he's playing decoy for the Illusive Man." Sherle said.

"Concerned," Darsan said, "I'm glad this works, but can Cerberus detect this?"

"The Quantum Entanglement Communications system can't be hacked. I keyed this to Jake and the Gradisian specifically for that purpose." Liara said. "So you're still aboard the Dyson Sphere?"

"Yeah." Hylia said, "It must've been shielded from the blast. Look, I have to ask; is Omega really gone?"

Liara was silent for a long moment before she finally said, "Yes. I lost over three-hundred agents, no survivors. No witnesses. How did you know about that?"

"Check Jake's recent memories; apparently the Illusive Man destroyed Omega right in front of him and Finn."

There was a pause as Liara no doubt verified this. Her face was ashen as she said, "Then Cerberus is making its move."

"They're still moving." Sherle said. "Jake said that Noveria was the next target."

Liara's eyes widened. "You're sure?"

Sherle glanced at Darsan, who nodded.

"I'll send a message to our agents at once. There's no way we can evacuate everyone, but we can save some and hopefully manage to get a look at whatever the Illusive Man's using to do this."

"I have an idea about that." The image on Jake's face became split, one half Liara and the other Glen.

"Surprised; Glen?" Darsan said, shuffling closer. "How are you doing this?"

"Uh, not sure. Comm systems were on when I found the Gradisian. I guessed that Jake was using the Quantum Entanglement thingy relayed off the Gradisian, so I patched straight into the ship's relay."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay too, Glenda." Liara said, a relieved smile on her face despite the scowl on Glen's at being called 'Glenda'.

Shaking her head, Glen said, "We've been working with some people previously captured by the Illusive Man, and they say they've been on board since they were picked up in Sigurd's Cradle."

Liara frowned. "I don't understand; they were picked up in Sigurd's Cradle and brought to Artemis Tau?"

"That's the thing; apparently, they were brought on board this station in Sigurd's Cradle. It sounds crazy, but I think this thing can move."

"Excuse me?" Sherle said.

Glen sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't think the Illusive Man showed Finn and Jake a video feed of Omega being destroyed; I think we were actually there."

"Of course!" Sherle said. "We've got a bunch of people here rigged up like a navigational array. To move a ship this big, they'd need some massive navigational power."

"I can't confirm that with the limited data in the secondary core." Mirabelle said, "But it seems plausible. Moving something as large as this station would require more than mere computational power; it would require actual skill, and intuition that is natural to bio-forms."

"What do you wanna bet we're seeing a chunk of the best pilots of the universe right here?" Hylia said, looking at the pods. "Scooped up by Cerberus and used to move their monstrosity around."

"That explains why we haven't been able to detect the station in Macedon, though frankly, it's a bit difficult to read anything in the system with all the radiation from the Supernova." Liara said, a hand on her forehead. "By the Goddess."

"Something like that." Glen said. "Listen, they just brought a ship into this hangar that looks like it tried to magnetize itself to the station before transit; I'm thinking we've got Omega survivors in there."

"If so, then they could confirm all of this." Liara said. "Glen, see if you can contact the survivors and ask them ..."

Liara froze, If it wasn't for Glen moving on her half of the screen, Sherle would've thought they'd been discovered.

"Liara?" Sherle asked. "Liara, can you still hear me?"

"Connection's still active." Mirabelle said, looking a little worried as well.

Jake stood and backed away from the pillar, his monitor raised as high as it could go to look at the man within.

"Impossible." She murmured. "But the reports said he died."

Now Glen was staring as well. "By the Creator. All he's missing is the stupid ball cap. And look around his neck!"

Sherle looked as well; the man wore a simple chain around his neck, from which hung a pair of dog tags and what looked like a small white flash drive.

"Hylia," Liara said, her voice strangely quiet. "Can you bring him out of stasis?"

"I can try." Hylia said. "It might take awhile though."

"If ... if there's no other choice, then I have to ask you to at least recover the drive."

Everyone looked at Liara in shock except Glen, who couldn't due to being the other half of the same screen.

"I would have you rescue him if you could." She said, "But the information on that drive is precious; I don't know how Cerberus didn't recognize it, but we cannot leave it in their hands."

"I'll see what I can do." Hylia said.

"Everyone else should focus on securing a means of escape." Liara said.

"Whoa!" Glen said, "Shouldn't we try to sabotage this thing?"

"The initial readings Jake's sent me show that you're probably not equipped to create an explosion large enough to incapacitate a station of that size." Liara said, "If you think you can manage something without jeopardizing your escape, by all means, but your primary goal needs to be getting your team out of there." She paused and said, "You've done enough; get back here with your team, your data, and any survivors. We know you're heading to Noveria, so I'll have ships waiting to assist."

"Already on it." Glen said. "Glen out."

Liara's face filled the screen. "And if at all possible ... bring him back alive as well."

With that, Liara's face vanished, leaving only Jake's. He shook his head before looking at the pillar himself. Sherle remembered the resonance echo, clearly originating from Jake himself. Something in the pod was reacting to Jake's presence, but was it the man or the flash drive?

"Curious; do you know him too?" Darsan asked.

Jake didn't respond for a few moments. "Huh? Oh ... no, of course not. Look, I'm gonna go get Glen before someone realizes I snuck out. I'll fill him in on everything and let him know Liara's orders ... and that Kyra's safe."

"Right." Sherle rubbed the side of Jake's monitor. "Be careful."

"I will. See you all at the hangar."

As Darsan helped Jake up into an overhead vent, Hylia sidled closer to Sherle and asked, "He seem a bit off to you?"

"Jake?" Sherle said, surprised by the question. "Yeah, a little. Then again, he just saw Omega torn apart; I'd imagine that'd even effect him."

"I guess you're right." Hylia said, shaking her head. "Sorry; I'll get to work on the pillar."

"Curious; what about Mirabelle?"

Mirabelle's hologram appeared again. "What about me?"

"Concerned; you've helped us. Is there some way we can bring you along ... you know, take you out of here?"

Mirabelle smiled at him. "Don't you worry about little ol' me. I've already secured my own escape route, and will help where I can with yours. In the meantime, I'm concerned for my skrievers; I've regained control of many of them, but there are still a few unaccounted for. I might not be able to rescue them from the Illusive Man, but I'd at least like to know what became of them."

"All right." Sherle said. "You be careful too, okay?"

"I certainly ..." Mirabelle paused, an odd look on her projected face. Before Sherle could ask what was wrong, she felt a hand touch her cheek.

"Gah!" She said, spinning around to find herself face-to-face with Xyn. Without warning, Xyn closed the distance between them and pulled Sherle into a tight embrace.

"Xyn, what are you mmph!" Xyn's lips met hers eagerly, her dainty tongue poking through to caress the tip of Sherle's. Sherle found she couldn't pull away; despite the situation, despite her still-hurt feelings, she couldn't help but think about how much the liked Xyn, both as a friend as something more intimate. Even Darsan saying, "Aroused; oh my." did little to distract her.

By the time Xyn pulled away ever so slightly, Sherle was out of breath and more than a little dazed.

"Crym Sherle shalla-vahn." Xyn whispered. "Se meriko tangen."

"Kes merika Xyn tien." Sherle said back, her lips moving as though on their own.

Hylia's mouth dropped. "Uh, really? Here? Now?"

Xyn smiled that smile, her smile, that wonderful, sweet smile that held a twinge of sadness in it as she caressed Sherle's cheek, just as Eri staggered into the room.

Xyn's eyes fell on him. Still smiling, she swept toward him, her hand still firmly grasping Sherles. Sherle felt herself walking along, utterly bewildered and mildly bewitched.

With her other hand, she caressed Eri's cheek and said, "Crym Eri shalla-vahn. Se meriko tangen."

"Now hold on a sec." Hylia said, moving toward them. "Eri, don't say-"

"Kes merika Xyn tien." Eri said, looking as bewildered as Xyn felt. After a moment, he said, "Kes merika Sherle tien."

"Kes merika Eri tien." Sherle replied instantly, mesmerized.

Xyn smiled at them both and promptly collapsed.

"Xyn!" Eri and Sherle said together, kneeling beside her.

"Aaand here we go." Hylia said, a grimace on her face.

Sherle looked at her, still full of bewilderment. "What ... just happened?"

"I told that bozo this would be a problem." Hylia said, rubbing her eyes.

"What?" Eri said, his confusion just as strong as Sherle's. That's when it hit her; it wasn't that he looked confused; he felt confused. Sherle could feel his confusion.

"What just happened was what the Neukarans refer to as 'Merik Tangen'." Hylia said, her black eyes narrowed. "It translates to soul bond, which is an apt term as it essentially and irrevocably links the minds of everyone involved. Normally there's a ceremony when this happens on Neukara, but it's just a formality."

"Formality for what?" Sherle demanded.

Hylia sighed. "Congratulations; you three just got married."


	16. Chapter 16 - Caninity

**Chapter 16**

 **Caninity**

The thumping coming from the vent was music to Finn's ears. He caught Jake as the robot dog fell out of the vent and quickly set him on the bed before reaching for the vent cover.

"Dude, leave it off. Liara wants us outta here." Jake said.

"What?"

Jake quickly filled Finn in on the communication with Liara and Glen.

"A moving station bigger than a sun?" Finn shook his head and said, "That's hard to believe."

"Well, believe it. Sherle, Hylia, and Darsan found this whole chamber filled with people stuck in pods, all linked to form a navigational system."

"But why use people when you could just use ..." Finn stopped as he realized the truth. "Oh my god."

"What? What?" Jake said.

"That's why the Illusive Man wants me. That's why he had to use living people and not computers." Finn said. "That's why everytime we see Greg, he looks worse."

The chamber door opened, revealing a very sickly-looking Greg. The skin on his face seemed to be hanging loose off his skull, and his gait was uneven.

"The Illusive Man will see you now." Greg said with some difficulty."

"Greg, you need to stop Streaming." Finn said.

If Greg was surprised, he no longer had the ability to register it. "Follow me."

He turned, only for Finn to spin him back around. "Greg, it's going to kill you!"

"I'm fine."

"Oh yeah?" Finn grabbed Greg's gun. Greg tried to grab his wrist, but his grip was far too weak. Finn shoved Greg to the floor and leveled the gun at his face.

Greg held up a hand weakly as though to stop the impending bullet.

Finn sighed; even if he happened to be a cold-blooded murderer, he doubted he could've brought himself to fire at the pitiful sight before him. Grabbing Greg's hand and hauling him to his feet, Finn slipped the gun back in Greg's holster much to Greg's surprise.

"Jesus, man," Finn said, "look at you! It's not just the engines that need to rest; you stream too much and you start losing yourself. Trust me, I know; I've felt the effects!"

"I ... I'm fine."

"You aren't fine! You keep pushing yourself like this you're gonna die." Finn paused and said, "And the Illusive Man knows that. He wanted to show me what this has been doing to you."

"And if you join, we'll share the burden together." Greg said. "Maybe with only three of us, it won't be so rough."

"Three? Who's the other one?"

Finn froze as someone else walked into the chamber. His jaw dropped in disbelief mingled with horror. The unkempt blonde hair so like his own, the massive glasses that made her eyes look twice as big, her small frame now draped in a Cerberus uniform ... he didn't want to admit it, but there was no doubt who it was.

"Hi, Finn." Alea Cresste said, smiling at her younger brother.

Silence permeated the hallway as Alea and Greg led Finn and Jake through the corridors of the station. The quiet atmosphere was punctuated several times by fits of coughing from Greg. More than once, Finn was certain he saw his old rival's hand come away from his mouth speckled with blood.

"So." Alea said at one point. "I hear you've been busy."

"Yeah, well, you know me." Finn said.

Alea glanced back at him and laughed. "Oh, come on, Finn. It's been five years. I'd think you'd have more to talk about."

"You wanna talk? Fine. How'd you join up with Cerberus?"

"You mean after you just up and left Earth without a word?"

Ah. It was going to be that kind of conversation. Even after all these years, it still caught him off-guard the way she could act nice and still be unforgivingly mean.

"Would you rather I went to jail?"

"I would have rather you talked to me before doing something stupid!" She turned around and punched Finn in the shoulder. Finn winced; for such a small woman, Alea had the fists of a prize-fighter.

Rubbing his now aching shoulder, Finn said, "Look, I'm sorry, but it wasn't like I had a lot of time to plan. Besides, I didn't want you to get caught up in my mess."

"See?" She said, putting her hands on her hips. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! You didn't have to visit me before leaving for the Alliance to be suspicious of me! If anything, the fact that I had no idea where you were or where you'd gone just made it worse! There were questions, Finn, serious inquiries. They even threatened a court martial; it didn't matter that I was telling the truth; I was your sister. Of course I was lying to protect you!"

Jake opened his mouth, but Alea was in his face before he could say a word. "And don't you even start; they may have thought I helped him, but you actually were his partner in crime. You hacked that ship for him, you enabled him to leave, and that makes you just as responsible as him, so be quiet!"

Jake let out a whimper, his cartoon face looking guilty.

Finn felt shame pour over him as his sister continued, "Even after that died down, no one trusted me. My reputation in the Alliance was shot. No one cared that I'd been one of their top cadets; I was the sister of Slipstream, the deserter. My grades and scores didn't matter, and even after I still graduated at the top of my class, the Alliance made me choose between a desk job and being a communications officer at a satellite in the outskirts of the Shrike Abyssal."

Finn stared at her open-mouthed at the implication, as she continued, "No flying, Finn. I couldn't even get a referral to fly a waste removal skiff. I couldn't even buy a ship to fly around on my own; the Alliance made sure of that. They grounded me, Finn; tell me, how would you feel?"

Finn found himself unable to respond. Sure, he'd never taken a job as a pilot since leaving the Alliance, but he's still been able to fly other ships. He had the Gradisian; even after getting the job at J-27, he was able to fly his own ship around whenever he felt cooped up.

"So yeah, when Cerberus approached and offered me a chance to fly again, you bet your ass I took them up on it."

Alea stalked away from Finn and Greg, leaving them both behind.

"I think I'm in love." Greg said, smiling despite his sickly pallor.

"Don't." Finn said glumly. "Just ... don't."

Alea and Greg led Finn to the same reception room as Finn's previous chat with the Illusive Man. The hologram generator hummed to life moments after he stepped into the room.

"Ah, Finn and Jake. I trust you had a pleasant reunion."

"Hmpf." Alea sniffed, crossing her arms and looking away from Finn.

The Illusive Man seemed a little surprised by this, but quickly regained his composure. "Well, be that as it may, now that I've told you my new purpose, I would hear your thoughts."

"No offense," Finn said, "But I'm not sure why you care. I mean, do I really have a choice here?"

"Why, Finn! I'm surprised at you. Of course you have a choice." Glancing at Greg, The Illusive Man said, "Some of my people feel that you are going to turn us down outright. If that's the case ..."

"It isn't."

Greg, Jake, and Alea looked at Finn with clear surprise in their expressions. The Illusive Man seemed surprised as well, but also a little pleased.

Cheeks flushed, Finn said, "Part of me wants to, though. Part of me wants to dismiss you outright, to condemn you for what you did to Omega. It would be so easy to just say you're completely nuts and are just riding on a hell of a high power trip."

"But?" The Illusive Man said.

Sighing, Finn said, "But you don't strike me as insane. At best, I'd say your actions were extreme, but is the universe a better place without Omega? I mean, let's get serious; even if I was right about Aria being a good person, there was definitely no shortage of bad people on the station, far and away more than anyone I'd label as an innocent. It was a breeding ground for some of the worst every race had to offer; thieves, murderers, rapists, terrorists, and just full-blown psychos ... not to mention the vorcha."

Finn paused, a shudder of rememberance passing over him. Shaking his head, "I'm not saying I agree with you. I'm not saying I'm sold on your plan, but you're right; I don't have a better answer, and without one, I can't in good conscience just turn you down without giving it proper thought."

"Well," The Illusive Man said, "Perhaps I can help allay some of your concerns. I can't promise I'll give you all the answers, but, as they say, it never hurts to ask."

"Okay." Finn said. "No need to beat around the bush, I suppose; why do you need Streamers?"

The Illusive Man's eyebrows rose slightly at this. "What makes you think I need Streamers?"

"Greg's showing signs of stream sickness; he's been showing them since before Omega, I just didn't recognize it at the time."

The Illusive Man nodded at this before taking a drag from his cigarette. "Quite frankly, my interest in Streamers was largely in part to you."

"Me?"

"How many times did Streaming prevent your capture? Not just from when my men chased you, but before? Engines may grow more powerful, other means of travel may be devised, but Streaming isn't so much travel as it is a way to slip past the boundaries of the universe. Surely, you've noticed the effect while in transit."

Finn didn't, being largly focused on just surviving whenever he streamed.

"In truth," The Illusive Man said, "I thought it merely a rumor; some superstition passed along by pilots to eke a little more speed out of their engines. Then you made your ship vanish; the pilots of my ships didn't report you as outrunning them; they said you simply vanished."

Shaking his head, the Illusive Man said, "Still, if there's anything I've learned over my life, it's to adapt. Your sister and Officer Sakamota were kind enough to show me the truth of Streaming. I was impressed; to think such a thing could produce such prodigious amounts of speed."

"So it's a tactical thing." Jake said.

"Of course. With a good Streamer at the helm, a ship could zip across the galaxy without even bothering with relays. With a touch more control, they could travel swiftly from point to point as though appearing from nowhere. As a combat tactic, it's quite effective; as an intimidation tactic, it's even moreso. As a defensive measure ... well, you yourself know how useful that is."

"I get that, I do, but the stream sickness is hitting him harder than normal from what i can tell; I mean, it's different for every Streamer, but given Greg's not gonna make it to Noveria at this rate."

"I'm fine." Greg insisted, his face flushed.

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but the Illusive Man beat him to it. "I agree. The effects of Streaming are even less documented than Streaming itself, and you do look to be in need of some rest, Officer Sakamota. Fortunately, this won't be a problem."

Before Finn could ask what the Illusive Man meant, the room changed. Finn felt his heart jump as the ceiling vanished, revealing a massive starfield that stretched all the way to the walls, leaving the floor little more than a dark circle. More impressive still was the image of Noveria floating past what had been the far wall.

Finn and Jake stared wordlessly at the planet, both taken aback by the sights surrounding him. The Illusive Man put out his cigarette and rose to his feet.

"We're already here."


	17. Chapter 17 - Long Live the Queen

**Chapter 17**

 **Long Live the Queen**

Glen watched the ship from the cockpit of the Gradisian, her finger tapping the console impatiently. She was tempted to try and open communications, but didn't want to give her presence away. They'd amazingly avoided detection so far, and Glen wasn't going to be the one to blow it.

As she thought about it, however, that struck her as odd. Yes, Finn had that rare kind of luck Glen recognized only too well; a sort of ability to come through the roughest situations by the skin of his pants no worse for wear. Still, Glen knew from experience that there was luck and then there was divine intervention. How had they not been noticed yet? Whether there was just one or a thousand, there was still a Reaper around somewhere.

The hiss of a fusion torch made Glen forget her train of thought. At first, Glen thought someone from the shuttle was trying to cut their way out, but a quick glance showed the reverse; Cerberus soldiers were attempting to cut into the ship via several well-placed holed in the cage.

Mirabelle's image popped up on the Gradisian's console. "I surmise they're planning to introduce a deadly or incapacitating agent into the ship."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Glen said, "Looks like they might need a hand."

She considered the Gradisian for a moment; it was a well-armed vessel with a cloaking device. Ultimately, however, she shook her head; even cloaked, someone would notice heavy weapons fire. If she couldn't stop all of them before someone set off an alarm, their strange luck would come to a sudden end.

"Not a problem." She said as she eased the cockpit door open. "I'll just have to be sneaky. I'm good at sneaky."

Glen lowered herself to the floor with practiced ease. While Glen was naturally a bit clumsy, years of living with her wife Teria had instilled at least some of her people's innate feline stealthiness into Glen.

Glen prowled across the floor, slinking from ship to ship and occasionally falling to all fours as she moved toward the sounds of the fusion cutter. All too soon, she found herself staring at the back of the nearest Cerberus soldier.

Flexing the metal fingers of Headache, she gathered herself for a moment and pounced on the unwitting soldier. He barely had time to yelp before Glenda lifted him from the ground and hurled him at the next. The two soldiers went down in a heap as Glen rushed at the remaining three.

Weapon's fire hit the deck around her, yet no bullet could manage to catch Glen. She caught the nearest soldier in the chin with a strong Headache-powered punch that nearly spun the soldier's head completely around. Using the soldier as a human shield, Glen fired a few blasts of energy at the remaining guards, pegging one and sending the other running.

"Oh, no." Glen said, tossing her soldier aside, "You are not getting away."

The soldier tried to run around the bulkhead of a heavy cargo freighter, but wasn't quite fast enough to escape the energy grapple beam as it latched around his ankle. Glen swung him overhead a few times before slammed him into the ground with enough force to crack the visor of the soldier's helmet.

She glanced around at the fallen soldiers for a few moments before nodding with satisfaction and approaching the partial hole in the ship's hull.

Knocking on the side of the ship with a metal clad hand, Glen called out, "Candy gram!"

"What?" Said a confused but strangely familiar voice from within the ship.

"Candy gram. You want this gift basket or not?"

There was a long pause. "Glen?"

Glen raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah."

"Of course it's you." Said the woman within the ship. "I guess asking you how would be a waste of time."

"I guess so." Glen paused; while Glen was nowhere near as secretive as her friend One, there was nevertheless a very short list of people living on Omega who would remember her in the four-hundred interim since her last visit. "That you, Aria?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"I had a feeling. Where's your docking ramp or whatever?"

A loud thunk sounded a short distance away. Nodding, Glen said, "Right. See you in a minute."

Once Glen spotted the outer door of the ship's airlock, it was only a matter of using Headache's fusion cutter to cut the bars away and allow the ramp leading to the door to extend. resting one of the bars on her shoulder, Glen watched as the doors opened to reveal a surprisingly large group of armed people led by the asari queen of Omega. Oddly enough, most did not appear to be soldiers; one of the women toting rifles wore a slightly torn black silk night-dress.

Many rifles were raised in Glen's direction, but Aria stopped them with a wave of her hand. She stared at Glen for a long moment, her face impassive.

"You still look the same." Aria said. There was no question there; just a simple statement of fact.

"So do you." Glen said, a grin on her face. "How time flies, eh?"

Aria did not smile back. It occurred to Glen rather too late that with the destruction of Omega, Aria may not have been in the best of moods. Allowing her smile to slip away, Glen let out a polite cough and said, "I just heard about what happened to Omega. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"So am I." Aria said, her face grim. "I'm gonna ask you this once; did you have anything to do with it?"

Glen bit back the urge to make a joke. "No. We had no idea the Illusive Man even had that kind of firepower. From the way Jake tells it, they tore Omega apart in seconds."

"Not they." Aria paused for a moment. "Jake? That wouldn't be Finnegan Cresste's mechanical mutt, would it?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. Finn's here too; running interference with the Illusive Man at the moment while we scope out their moving base."

"The Illusive Man." Aria said. Her tone made Glen very glad she wasn't the Illusive Man. Shaking her head, Aria said, "You've been collecting information?"

"Yup. Helping out the Shadow Broker."

"I see." After a small pause, Aria said, "I'd like to take a look at what you've got."

"Huh?" Oh, sure." Glen held out her left Headache Unit, metal palm up. Aria put her hand over Glen's, her omni-tool springing to life around her arm. After a few moments, the data was copied. Through the scans from all the Wiles, the information given by Mirabelle, and Glen's own commentary based on her own ecclectic experience, they'd gathered a considerable amount of information about the inside of the station.

Aria nodded and turned to the elderly krogan by her side. "Patriarch, make sure everyone gets a copy of this." She said, transferring the data to Patriarch's omni-tool. "I want to know every weakness, every little crack so I can shove my boot straight through it."

"You got it, Aria." The krogan said, his voice a low rumble. He returned to the ship, presumably to plan.

Aria sat down on the side of the ramp. It wasn't until then that Glen realized how tired Aria looked. There were dark circles under her eyes, her clothes were torn and even burned in places, and she limped as she walked. The reason was obvious; there was a large hole on the leg of her pants. The wound looked to have been sealed with medi-gel, but Glen caught a glimpse of the blood staining the back of the leg.

Noticing Glen's stare, Aria sighed and said, "You wanna hear about my day?"

"I think I can guess most of it." Glen said, sitting down beside her. "Did anyone else make it?"

Aria didn't respond for a few moments, prompting a curious look from Glen.

"They were ... very thorough." Aria said in a quiet voice. "Most of the vessels that escaped the destruction of the station were cut to pieces. Arms dealers, medical transports, civilian ships ... didn't matter who they were. This ... thing just blew them apart."

"This base?" Glen asked. "I mean, I know it moves and all, but it's what destroyed Omega?"

"Yes." Aria said. "It would've gotten us too if the volus hadn't been there. Damned if I know how he came across a fully functioning cloaking device."

Glen frowned at this. She glanced back at the group. There was only one volus, and while it was impossible to be sure, the volus's suit was a match for that of the volus she'd met on Trident shortly before they departed for Artemis Tau. They'd only talked briefly, but it was enough for Glen to learn that he was the original owner of the Ulasomorf.

"Something wrong?" Aria asked.

Glen shook her head. "Nah, just a weird coincidence. The good news is that we're already on our way outta here. We've secured a cargo ship, so there should be plenty of room for-"

"We're not leaving." Aria said, her eyes not moving from where they were boring holes through the floor. "Not until I have the Illusive Man's head."

Mildly taken aback, Glen said, "You know he's actually just an intelligence within a Reaper, right?"

"I don't care if he's the tooth fairy; I'm going to find a way to make him pay!"

Aria's group stared at her. Some looked worried, though most nodded in agreement.

"I seem to recall you enjoyed inciting a little chaos." Aria said, her usual smirk returning to her face. "You in?"

Glen considered; according to Jake, Xyn and Eri were fine, Tuck was likely bringing the others to meet up with Nella in the Centurion Hawk, where Sherle's team would meet up once they finished unfreezing the cocky norm with the brittle bones. Liara did say it was okay to cause some trouble if it was convenient.

Glen shrugged and gave Aria a salute. "Right behind ya, boss."

"Good." Aria said as though she expected no less. She rose to her feet and motioned for Glen to follow her back into the ship. Glen stopped briefly beside batarian woman who was among those who seemed more worried than eager to fight, likely because of the little girl clutching her hand.

"Past the turian freighter next to the asari starskimmer." Glen said in a low tone. "Let Nella know that Glen said you're okay. Deck should be clear, but move fast just in case."

The batarian woman flashed Glen a grateful smile before hurrying away. A few of the armed survivors went with them as well, which gave Glen some peace of mind.

She turned back to Aria, only to find the asari staring back at her.

"Not everyone's a fighter. Better for us all to get them somewhere safe." Glen said. "Besides, Liara will want some answers; this way we don't have to worry about all of you getting yourselves killed."

"Your confidence in us is overwhelming." Aria said, her tone dry. Shaking her head, she said, "Bah. Come on."

Once inside, Aria led Glen to Patriarch and a few survivors who did look like soldiers. They were huddled around a gray-skinned salarian who had set up a small hologram generator that currently displayed the composite map of the Cerberus base.

"What've you got?" She said briskly.

"Looks like the place was built to stop any kind of major sabotage." Patriarch said. "Too much redundancy."

A gray-skinned salarian standing beside Patriarch nodded. "Extra generators, redundant systems, secondary passages make this place unusually-"

"It'll blow up, right?" Aria asked as she checked the heat sink of her rifle.

"Er, that's the problem Miss Aria." The salarian said. "Even if we placed our entire reserve of explosives in places that would lead to secondary explosions, it is unlikely we'd be able to do enough damage to do more than just slow this vessel down."

"What about those soldiers?" Patriarch asked, pointing at the Cerberus soldiers who ran afoul of Glen. "If they got alot of soldiers here, they gotta have munitions."

Aria looked at Glen, who rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, I did see some supply rooms earlier near the training facilities." Glen said. "Stands to reason they'd have something if they're planning a ground assault, but-"

"But?"

"But if you're looking to make a big explosion, what about all these ships?" Glen asked. "We rig their drives to overload, and this whole hangar bay becomes a giant eezo bomb. That's gotta take out at least a chunk of this place, right?"

"Not bad." Aria said, a sly smile sliding across her face. "Knoxx?"

"I'm on it." The salarian said, walking quickly away.

"Whoa, just make sure to leave off these two ships." Glen said, quickly transmitting the transponder codes for the Gradisian and the Centurion Hawk. "Finn's team needs a way out; if we can't manage to stop this thing, the Shadow Broker's our next best bet."

The salarian looked at Aria, who gave a curt nod in response.

"Any other ideas?" Aria asked.

Scratching the side of her head, Glen said, "Well, if the Illusive Man wasn't lying ... and yeah, I know that's a pretty big if ... there's one Reaper; the one housing the Illusive Man's consciousness. Seems to me that if we find that, this whole thing is over."

"Any idea where that might be."

Glen opened her mouth to respond, but when she realized she had no answer, she blew a raspberry at Aria instead.

"Okay then." Aria said, "Then we do it the hard way."


	18. Chapter 18 - Shoulder Angel

**Chapter 18**

 **Shoulder Angel**

The blue-white orb of Noveria hung in the distance. After what happened to Omega, Finn couldn't help but think of how helpless it looked.

"Noveria. A perfect example of a place that hasn't changed since before the Reaper War." The Illusive Man said, rising to his holographic feet. "I won't lie; I've had my uses for it in the past. Lack of ethical boundaries made things easier for the research necessary for me to shed my mortal coil, as it were."

He stared at the image of the planet for a long moment before shaking his head. "I was as corrupt as those corporations that still infest it, my mind filled with a misguided need to protect humanity from what I saw as a vast and alien universe that wanted nothing more than to put us down. I don't mind admitting I'm a little ashamed of who I was in those days."

"You are?" Jake said, sounding more surprised than doubtful.

The Illusive Man nodded. "I admit to allowing myself the arrogance to believe that humanity should be at the forefront of shaping the galaxy. Humanity is by nature impatient and demanding, constantly striving and reaching for more. Shepard was right; we are part of a galactic whole; I was just too small to see it."

"And now?" Finn asked.

"And now." The Illusive Man said, bowing his head. "I did not just take over the body of a Reaper, Mister Cresste; I took its mind, its memories. I can see every civilization they destroyed over the eons, some even greater than the Protheans. Ruthless empires, peaceful federations, loose alliances of civilizations, and full-on anarchy across the stars. Every time, there's that one species who pushes harder than the others. Sometimes things are relatively bloodless. Most of the times though ... well, I'm sure you can imagine."

"Biggest bastard sits on top?" Jake said.

"Imagine quieter." Finn said, flashing his friend an annoyed look.

The Illusive Man just shook his head. "But those who came closest were those who united. The Untinni Amalgamate very nearly defeated the Reapers without the Crucible, and even in failure managed to send bastions of their people under their rule to a galaxy even the Reapers couldn't trace, where I suspect they have prospered. I admit to some small pride to being part of the cycle that finally brought them down."

Finn and Jake exchanged confused glances, but it was Jake who eventually voiced what they were thinking. "But you're a Reaper."

"Yes." The Illusive Man said, "And no. I took their form, their memories, but I am in control. I do not share their flawed logic about artificial intelligence; you two are a perfect example that both can live together without one trying to overtake the other. Even if it were, the destruction of all advanced civilizations in the galaxy hardly seems the best solution."

"But destroying an entire planet of people is perfectly cool?" Jake said. "How is that not the same damn thing?"

"How is culling different from genocide?" The Illusive Man replied. "The Reapers wiped the slate clean. I merely with to erase the worst of the graffiti, so to speak. Still ..."

Finn waited for the Illusive Man to continue, but he simply shook his head. "There's no need for you to watch this, Finn. I'll call for you once Noveria has been dealt with."

Part of Finn was eager for a chance to leave; to talk with Greg and Alea and convince them to get the hell outta there. Then there was that hesitation; for the smallest of moments, the Illusive Man seemed reluctant about his plan.

"Noveria isn't massively colonized." Finn said, "And you've got ground forces here; maybe destroying the place isn't necessary."

"Oh?" The Illusive Man said, raising an inquiring eyebrow at me.

"I mean, it's just a bunch of researchers and corporation people. How much of a show do you really need to put up to intimidate that lot?"

"I see. Do you agree with him, Jake?"

"Makes sense." Jake said quickly. "Why bother with a mounted drill when a screwdriver can do the same job faster and less messy?"

"Spoken like a true repairman." The Illusive Man said.

"Chances are they've heard what happened to Omega." Finn said, "They might not even need much convincing; I mean, if Omega couldn't muster a defense, what's Noveria gonna do?"

"It is home to the research wings of many corporations, Finn, including weapons manufacturers." The Illusive man said. "Don't be too quick to write off what people are capable of producing when put to the test."

"Still, utter destruction might be overkill, even in terms of settling an example."

"Perhaps." The Illusive Man said, "But what puzzles me is why you care. You suggested this world, Finn, specifically as both an example to the galaxy and as a tactical target. It's not like there are any innocent colonists to worry about; the whole reason this place exists is to skirt the law."

"Because ..." Finn fought a few moments for an answer, ultimately deciding to try the riskiest one of all. "Because I don't want a bunch of people to die. Innocent or not, it just seems so ... excessive."

Jake spoke, an odd tone in his voice as he said, "Do you think even the worst person can change? That everyone can be a good person if they try?"

The Illusive Man gave Jake an odd look, as did Finn. Jake shook his monitor. "Sorry; not sure where that came from. Still, I think I speak for me and Finn when I say that I wanna think bad people can be good with the right incentive. Isn't that your goal?"

"My goal?"

"You don't wanna destroy everyone with the slightest hint of corruption, or you wouldn't be talking to us. We were both members of the Saints, for Christ's sake! But we've become better people through our adventures, and deep down, I'm thinking that's what you want for the galaxy; for the bad people to realize the error of their ways and become better people."

Finn looked at Jake with unabashed amazement. The Illusive Man stared at him as well, an unreadable look on his face. Although certain at first that the Illusive Man would simply write off Jake's words, Finn began to wonder as seconds passed with no response.

"Perhaps ... perhaps you are correct." The Illusive Man said slowly, as though already thinking hard about the situation. "I will need to run a risk assessment, but perhaps, if it appears a more martial solution will achieve the same result, we will take your advice. Thank you, Jake."

"A-anytime."

"Regardless, I won't ask you to watch the outcome." To Finn's great surprise, the Illusive Man's normally impassive face fell. "I regret doing so with Omega; I hoped to make a point, but on reflection, it was a rather extreme measure."

Finn jumped at the touch of a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Alea looking at him. Finn forgot she and Greg were even there. Finn and Jake followed them out of the room, but just before leaving, Finn glanced back at the Illusive Man."

"Thank you." Finn said.

"That may be premature."

"I know. Still ... that you're even willing to consider another option besides total destruction ... it helps."

The Illusive Man nodded slowly, still facing Noveria.

Finn was quiet as Greg and Alea led him and Jake through the corridors. Once they were far enough away, Finn said, "We need to get out of here."

"Oh?" Alea said without turning.

"You and Greg. We need to find a ship; my allies will be looking for me; we could get out of here."

"And go where, brother?"

"To the Shadow Broker. She'll know what to make of all this."

"And if she decides that the Illusive Man needs to be destroyed? Or is he not alive enough for the mercy you're willing to show to the beaurocrats on Noveria?"

"I ... I don't know." Finn confessed. "Before coming here, I thought he was just evil. After that last conversation, I can't help but wonder."

"Well, it's good that you can admit that." Alea said, "But you're not going anywhere until you make a decision."

Jake gave her a funny look. "You're really going along with this? Just because he'll let you fly?"

"Something wrong with that?" Alea asked, fire in her eyes.

"Nah. It just seems kinda ... well, y'know."

Alea stopped and rounded on Jake, hands on her hips. "If you have something to say, Jake, just say it."

"This is nuts, and you know it. You gave Finn hell for stealing a piece of candy; just a short while ago, you were lecturing him about running away instead of talking to you. You really expect me to believe you're just gonna go along with the guy who just killed an entire station's worth of people, and is poised to kill even more?"

Alea glared at Jake for a long moment before turning away.

"Greg." Finn said, but Greg wouldn't even look at him. Sighing, Finn looked at Jake. "Great. Guess it's just you and me."

He turned his head back to find himself staring at the muzzle of Alea's pistol.

"If you try to run away again, I will shoot you." She said, her tone leaving no room for doubt as to the veracity of her claim. "You are going to go into your room and sit your ass down until we come back ... and if you aren't there when we come back, I will tear this station apart to find you."

"Easy now." Jake said. "We ain't gonna be any trouble. Right, Finn?"

"Right." Finn said, still looking at his sister. Her confidence and poise were more than just a bit daunting.

Once they reached the room, Alea said, "We will be back. Don't go anywhere."

"Hardy-har har." Finn said, glowering at her.

She pointed a finger at him. "I mean it, Finn. Don't make me drag you back to Earth by your ear."

Alea left the room first, followed by Greg. Unsurprisingly, he hung back for a moment.

"For the record, I appreciate you tryin' to talk him down." Greg said. "The old Slipstream ... I don't know if he would've cared what happened to anyone but himself."

He held his hand out to Finn. Finn hesitated a moment before accepting it.

"I'm sorry." Finn said as he shook Greg's hand.

"It's okay." Greg said. "We were both young."

"I am sorry for all that, but I really was talking about this." Finn activated his omni-tool's stun function. Greg's body stiffened for a moment before falling to the ground.

Alea hurried into the room, no doubt hearing the commotion. "Finn! What the hell are you-"

Her body stiffened as electricity shot from the edges of Jake's monitor, stunning her as well. Finn caught her before she could fall.

Finn ripped the sheets from the bed as Jake tugged Alea the rest of the way into the room.

"She's gonna be ten kinds of pissed when she wakes up." Jake said as Finn bound her hands and feet.

"You're right." Finn ripped a strip of cloth from the sheets and used it to gag his sister. He briefly considered stealing Greg's uniform in an attempt to disguise himself, but decided it wasn't worth the effort; with them carrying the two stunned humans, there was no way this wasn't going to look suspicious no matter what he was wearing.

After binding Greg as well, Finn carefully positioned Alea over Jake so her arms were around his monitor. Her legs still dragged along the ground, but Jake was able to carry her relatively unhindered.

"All right." Finn said, "Let's move."

Finn opened the door only to catch a glimpse something large and metal swinging down to meet his skull with a loud crack and send him into darkness.


	19. Chapter 19 - Whoopsie

**Chapter 19**

 **Whoopsie**

Sherle did her best to focus on the stasis pod. It wasn't easy; Eri's anxiety coupled with the warm fuzziness of Xyn's mind. While the colander blocked incoming psychic energy, it seemed to do little to the effects of the bond for all concerned.

She nearly jumped when Xyn's hand rested on her arm.

"Sherle?" Xyn asked, pulling her hand back slightly.

"S-sorry." Sherle said, trying to ignore the warmth flooding her cheeks. "I'm just a little rattled at the moment."

Much to her discomfort, Xyn slipped her arms around her waist and hugged Sherle's back. "It's okay. I know you'll figure it out."

Sherle wasn't sure what to say. While she was uncomfortable at first with so much physical contact, it was comforting. Xyn's warmth made her feel safe, secure ... loved.

Then there were the thoughts, not just Xyn's but Eri's as well. They whispered at the edges of her mind; nothing coherent as words, but definitely leaving the sensations of emotions in their wake.

It happened so quickly; one moment, Xyn was there. The next, she was everything filling the parts of her that ached for emotional connection, filling the emptiness of loneliness with the warmth of her friendship, her affect, and her love. The words just slipped out of her mouth, even though she was sure she'd never heard them before.

"All right, all right." Hylia said, hurrying over to the pod. "Enough of that. I know you're just tryin' to help, Xyn, but that guy in the pod really needs Sherle's concentration right now, okay?"

"I understand." Xyn's lips brushed Sherle's ear. "I know you can do it, my love."

Sherle shuddered at the sensation, even after Xyn pulled away and walked over to Eri.

"You all right?"

"Huh?" Sherle said, looking at Hylia. Blushing again, she said, "Oh, right. Yeah. Thanks, Hylia."

"No problem." Hylia said, though Sherle detected a hint of annoyance in the drell's tone.

"I'm trying to focus." Sherle said defensively.

"I know you are. Doing an impressive job of it too, and that's not me being sarcastic." Hylia scowled. "Damn artifacts. I should've realized there'd be a problem, especially with a species as naturally empathic as the neukarans. They don't desire companionship; they need it."

"You mean the colander did this?"

"I'm pretty sure. It blocked off her normal slight connection to everyone, leaving her very alone. In absence of what she perceives as true connection, she formed one that bypassed the colander the only way she knew how. No wonder she focused on you and Eri so much." Hylia glanced at Sherle, worry in her dark eyes. "How about you? You feelin' okay?"

"I'm fine." Sherle said. "It's a little strange, that's all. This wasn't how I pictured my day going."

"I'll bet." Hylia returned her gaze to the panel for a moment before shaking her head. "Ugh. This frontend is useless; all the key functions are locked out. Hey, Mirabelle, any luck on your end?"

"I'm working on it." Mirabelle replied from the PIM on Sherle's hand. "It's going to take time, though; I'm not familiar with the coding language, and if I'm not familiar with it, that makes it at least twenty-thousand years old. I'm quite curious to know where the Illusive Man found this technology."

Hylia snorted. "I don't care where he found it; I just wanna know how to turn it off so we can get outta here."

"Understood." After a few moments, Mirabelle said, "Uh, Sherle?"

Sherle heard her, but didn't register her for a moment. Her eyes slipped to Eri and Xyn; she'd never realized that turians were even capable of blushing. He'd always struck her as easy-going, and was surprised to learn how bashful he was, something no one really noticed other than Xyn. Well, Xyn and Sherle now. Eri and Xyn glanced at her, their gazes inviting; they wanted her to join their conversation; their concern for her reticence was strangely comforting, as was their mutual desire to put her at ease.

"Sherle!"

Sherle snapped her attention back to the console, her cheeks burning. "Sorry."

Frowning, Hylia asked, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine." Sherle said more harshly than she intended. "Nothing here looks like a reanimation protocol."

"There may not be one." Hylia said. "He may never have intended to let them go."

The implication that the poor souls trapped in the pillars were stuck there for eternity seemed nothing short of horrific to Sherle. Their minds stuck in frozen shells, never again to experience the wind in their hair, the warmth of the sun on their skin, the ...

Sherle shook her head to regain her focus. Why couldn't she maintain focus? Was this how it was always going to be until the bond could be severed?

A horrible sinking sensation hit Sherle's stomach immediately following that thought. She looked over to Xyn only to find Xyn looking at her, an expression of deep sadness on her face.

"Sherle, can you ..." Hylia stopped and followed Sherle's gaze. Sighing, she said, "Ugh. Fine; give me the PIM. Now go over there and do whatever bonded neukarans do ... within reason, of course. I'll figure this out on my own."

"Ahem." Mirabelle said.

"Oh, excuse me ... mostly on my own."

Sherle was already halfway to Sherle and Eri by that point, leaving the drell and the CIC to bicker.

Xyn gave Sherle a smile that was somehow more sad than her previous expression. "There is a way to sever the bond. A fruit of a certain tree on Neukara that when eaten will remove any existing soulbonds. I'm sure if we ask Finn once we're away from this place, he will be willing to procure some for both of you."

"Wait a minute." Eri said, taking Xyn's hand. "Look, I wasn't expecting this either. I mean, this is hardly the romantic setting I'd have picked, but I gotta be honest, Xyn; I don't have a problem with it. I mean, I'm not a complete moron; I'm guessing this has at least something to do with the colander. Still, if I'm being honest, I'm kinda glad."

Eri put his hands on Xyn's cheeks. "I love you, babe, and while this is definitely not what I was expecting, I kinda like it. Feeling your thoughts in my head ... well, it's nice. Definitely the best thing rattling around in there."

Xyn let out a soft laugh, her dark cheeks growing even darker. "You're teasing me."

"A little." He admitted. "I guess I'm just saying that I'm fine with this if you are, Xyn. If we get outta here and you change your mind, that's fine ... but if you don't, well ..." He put his arms around her. "I'm fine with this."

"Thank you, Eri." Xyn kissed him for a long moment before looking at Sherle. She wanted them both; Sherle knew it without a doubt. Xyn loved them both the same, and couldn't understand Sherle's hesitation.

The issue was pushed aside as the door to the room opened to reveal Jake. He wasn't alone either; a familiar krogan wearing an apron entered along with the two humans from the kitchens.

"Tuck!" Sherle's eyes went to the man slumped over his shoulder. "Finn? Oh my god ... what happened?"

"Someone got a little careless with his ladle." Jake said, shooting Tuck a nasty look.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Tuck said as he propped Finn's unconscious body against one of the pillars. "We were comin' to rescue ya. Didn't realize you'd find a way to rescue yerselves."

"And who are those two?" Eri asked as David and Fred entered with Alea and Greg in tow.

"Finn's sister and an old schoolmate." David said.

"Yeah. Finn already had 'em all trussed up when we bumped into him."

Sherle knelt beside Finn. He was unconscious, likely from the sizeable bump on his head.

Xyn was there in a moment, her hands swiftly and tenderly touching the swollen lump. Small ivy-like growths grew from her hands and encircled his head. Sherle started to protest, but stopped when she realized the swelling was going down.

Her breath caught in her throat as Xyn's eyes met hers. "I'll tend to him."

'R-right." Sherle moved to check the others. The man seemed a bit pale, but other than that both of them seemed okay.

Alea stirred at Sherle's touch. Sherle tensed as the woman's eyes fluttered open and focused on hers, only to go wide.

"Take it easy." Sherle said, but it was clear that Alea was in no mood to take it easy. She started struggling against the sheets that bound her wrists and ankles.

"This might be a problem." Sherle said, backing away from Alea, only to almost bump into Eri. He caught her shoulders before she could stumble.

"Easy." He said, "She's not going anywhere tied up like that."

The assurance he radiated helped calm her down, as did what she was surprised to realize was the turian equivalent of a smile.

Alea stopped struggling, her eyes on Finn. All the anger drained from her face, leaving nothing but concern.

"He's fine." Sherle told her. "Just got a nasty knock on the head."

Alea's eyes darted to Xyn, who nodded. Alea relaxed for a moment before turning her anger back on Eri and Sherle. She tried to talk, but the gag stopped her.

"Is the gag really necessary?" Sherle asked.

"Uh, yeah." Jake said. "Trust me; you don't wanna hear what she's tryin' to say right now."

Alea's eyes focused on Jake and quickly narrowed. Whatever she was trying to say grew much more heated, even after Jake pointedly turned away from her.

"I think I'd better keep an eye on our new friends here." Eri said.

"Thanks, Eri." She paused and said, "Look, for the record, I think you're an okay guy, really I do."

"I know." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, this caught me off-guard too. With everything else going on ... well, I can see how it's a bit overwhelming. Thing is, you've been a good friend, and I don't want that to go away."

"Neither do I." Sherle said, bowing her head. "It's just ..."

"I know." He chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, I know. I'm just saying, you wanna be with Xyn and just be friends with me, I'm cool with that. Most of my friends are either dead or ..." He paused; Sherle caught stray thoughts about Omega passing through his mind. "Well, dead for the most part. Pretty much just Finn and you guys at this point."

"You don't have family back home?"

"Well, yeah." Eri said, "But that's family. Ya gotta love your family, yeah? Mind you, I do miss Mum's bakery back on Palavan."

"Bakery?" Sherle said, surprised. "Your parents own a bakery?"

"No, my mother owns a bakery. Dad works for her." He chuckled, his eyes darting away. "Bit of a pushover, dad."

"How long has it been since you've seen them?"

"Oh, years and years. Mum wanted me and my sister to work there as well, but ... well, I wanted adventure. Ended up on Omega, then got picked up by Finn." Eri glanced at Finn for a moment before adding, "Thankfully."

"I know the feeling." Sherle said, a small smile spreading on her face.

"How about you?" Eri asked. "I've never heard you mention your family before."

"Not much to say." Shaking her head, she said, "Look, I gotta help Hylia with our frozen friend so we can get the hell outta here."

"Right." Eri said, though Sherle could feel his surprise at her abrupt ending of the conversation. "Well, I'll make sure our new friends won't be a problem."

Sherle took a few steps toward the pillar before turning back to Eri. "I'd ... like to talk some more later. I mean, if you want to."

"I'd like that." Sherle said.

Hylia glanced up as Sherle approached. "Get it out of your system?"

"I'm bonded to a neukaran and turian." Sherle said, returning to the same console she previously used. "Look, I'm dealing with it, all right? Now where are we with this guy?"

"Ah. Well, Mirabelle's sure it's a temporal stasis program; the tricky part is getting the guy out without triggering ... what was it you called it, Mira?"

"Bounceback." Mirabelle said from the PIM. "Essentially, he'd age the exact amount of time he's been in this pod. I'm still nailing down the exact figure, but it's already well past the life-span of a human."

"Meaning turning it off would kill him." Sherle said with a sigh. "At least it'd be instantaneous. Is there any workaround?"

"As a matter of act, there is." Mirabelle sounded smug as she continued, "While I can't identify the origin of the tech used to create this, I have identified that it is intended to be used as a long-term stasis. It was designed to avoid bounceback; I simply need to trace the correct awakening subroutines back to the root command."

"How long?" Hylia asked.

"About thirty minutes."

It wasn't much time in the long-run, but at that moment, thirty minutes seemed like a small eternity to Sherle. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Perhaps. Hylia, could you use that glove of yours to interface with the pillar? I believe you could be of assistance."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

As she fished through her pack, Mirabelle said, "If, as they say, push comes to shove, I can deactivate the stasis field; while the human would die, an analysis of the memory chip he wears shows that it would remain unaffected."

"So if things go to crap, we can still get the chip." Sherle sighed and rubbed her forehead. "But he'd die."

"Yes."

It wasn't a pleasant thought, but Sherle couldn't fault the CIC; it was a valid option, one that they'd have to consider if they were discovered.

Still, perhaps they could reduce the chances of being discovered. Sherle glanced around the chamber and quickly spotted Tuck speaking with Darsan and the two human cooks.

"It looks like it's gonna take a while for us to thaw out our friend." Sherle said.

"Gotcha." Tuck said. "We're gonna go meet up with the others on the ship."

"Speculative; perhaps you should take the prisoners with you." Darsan said. "Less of a load for when we're leaving, and you know Liara's gonna want a word with them."

"Store the baggage; check." Tuck picked Greg's still unconscious form and slung him over his shoulder. He started to grab Finn as well, only for Xyn to stop him.

"He shouldn't be moved until fully healed." She told him.

"You got it, Doc." Nodding at Alea, Tuck said, "One of you gents wanna carry her?"

Fred went to pick up Alea, who clearly did not want to go along with the plan. She fought and struggled against her bonds, making it nearly impossible for Fred to keep a hold on her.

Rolling his eyes, Tuck handed his ladle to Darsan, grabbed Alea, and threw her over his other shoulder. She still fought, but the krogan's strong arms were more than enough to make her struggle futile.

"Think they'll be okay?" Eri asked once they were gone.

Darsan shook his head, his eyes on the ladle in his massive hand. "Wistful; I hope not. I'd miss his soufflés."


	20. Chapter 20 - Troublemakers

**Chapter 20**

 **Troublemaker**

Several patrolling Cerberus soldiers were surprised to find an undisguised and unarmed Glen running their way. Several raised their weapons, but none fired; the panic in Glen's eyes made it clear there was something horrible behind her.

She collapsed into the arms of the lead soldier, practically in tears.

"Please, you gotta help me!" She begged. "It's right behind me!"

"Easy there!" The soldier said, "What's right behind you?"

She pointed with a shaking hand to the corridor from which she'd arrived just as a dark shadow stole over the smooth walls.

"Take cover." The soldier said. He and his men quickly stood in front of Glen and raised their weapons in anticipation of whatever might come around the corner.

Aria walked calmly around the corridor, her rifle propped on one shoulder. She nodded at the soldiers without a word, an eerie smile on her face.

"Halt!" The lead soldier shouted. "One more step, and we'll fire."

Aria raised a painted eyebrow at him. "We?"

The soldier slowly turned to see the four other soldiers of his patrol on the floor. He didn't have to look at it long before Glen sent him flying with a Headache-augmented punch.

As the soldier's now unconscious body slid to a halt just feet from Aria, the former queen of Omega shook her head.

"I can't believe this keeps working." Aria said as Glen jogged over to her.

"What can I say? People are a sucker for a damsel in distress." Glen checked Headache's scanner screen for a moment before saying, "Major power junction, next chamber on the right."

"Sounds important." Aria said, her hand already moving to pull one of the explosive charges from her belt. "Sounds like it'll hurt."

They hurried into the junction station, startling several technicians. They reached for their sidearms, but Glen and Aria were faster.

"Reminds me of the old days." Glen said as she planted a charge on the main console. "Blasting Cerberus, facing insane odds, making it through by the skin of our teeth. Heh. All that's missing is Shepard."

Aria snorted, but Glen could see she was smiling. "I dunno; you've found a new boy scout to follow around."

"True." Glen admitted. "But Finn's a thinker; a seat-of-the-pants thinker, but a thinker none-the-less. It's less about busting heads and bodycounts and more about doing the impossible and the unexpected."

Glen paused and chuckled before saying, "Reminds me of someone else I used to travel with, actually. A bit stodgy at times, but he knew how to show a lady a good time, no matter what year we were in."

This brought a curious expression to Aria's face, but Glen chose not to notice. Looking at one of the consoles, Glen said, "Hey, I'm gonna try something; take a look at the console next to the technician you pegged in the brain box and tell me the energy output.

"Sure." Aria kicked the dead technician out of the way and looked at the console.

After a long moment of silence, Glen glanced back at her. "Uh, Aria? What's it say?"

"Uh, five-hundred milliliters of milk, two table spoons of flour, one egg, one-hundred fifty grams of brown sugar, three tablespoons of corn flour ... what the hell is this?"

By this point, Glen was already walking across the room. When she got to the console that should've displayed the status of the power junction and the nearby generators was instead displaying ingredients.

"Butter, vanilla, salt." Glen read aloud, her brow furrowed.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

Glen stood up straight and scratched the side of her head thoughtfully. "Cooking instructions."

"For what?"

"Some kind of pie-filling, according to the instructions. Yeah, look; the ingredients and cooking instructions for the crust are at the bottom."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Okay, so why are pie instructions considered necessary for Cerberus operations?"

The screen flickered. Glen took a quick picture of the instructions before the screen flickered again, this time changing back to a normal power status screen.

"That was odd." Aria said.

"Yeah." Glen agreed. While it was hardly the place or time, she felt a need to find the kitchen where they'd met Shavan and his crew.

Aria placed her last explosive charge on the console. "McGregor?" She abarked into the communicator on her wrist. "Status."

"Setting our last charges now." Replied the gruff voice Glen presumed belonged to McGregor. "What now?"

"What else?" Glen said with a snort. "Get out of here so we can set off the fireworks."

Aria didn't respond. Glen glanced at her, and was surprised to see a surprisingly cold look on Aria's face.

"Aria." Glen said.

"He blew up my home, Glen." Aria said, her voice quiet. "I put everything I had into Omega, and that bastard just tore it apart like it was nothing."

"I get that, but it's not like you can put a bullet in the Illusive Man's head." Glen said. "We need a fleet and way more explosive power to take down a Reaper, not to mention that we need to know where the hell it is."

"Then we should locate the original Reaper." Aria said. "T'soni's gonna need that information, right?"

"I'd imagine so." Glen sighed, Aria may have had a point, but Glen knew she likely had her own plan. Still, there wasn't much she could do. "Fine; we might as well try and get as complete a map of this place as we can. Let's find a nice blank spot on the map and check it out."

Mirabelle's image popped into view, startling Glen and Aria. "I might be able to be of assistance."

"Mirabelle, right?" Glen said. "Jake mentioned you in passing. Some kind of AI, right?"

"A CIC, actually."

Glen's eyes widened. "You're Glyche?"

"Glyche?" Aria asked, raising an eyebrow.

Glen shook her head. "Ancient civilization. It'd take too long to explain, but I have ties with them."

"Then you know of us?" Mirabelle, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. Well, I know about the Glyche around Vinta. Your people helped me out, and I'm always glad to return the favor ... but how did you end up here?"

"I've been looking into that, actually. It seems the Illusive man took the remnants of the Dyson sphere built by the Geth and patched it with tech from a number of civilizations, some ancient. My facility was harvested from the moon in which it was originally built; many of these corridors were converted from my own, while my core was shunted from the station's network."

A look of annoyance fell over her face. "I think the Illusive Man kept me around thinking I was just a bit of antiquated software. He took my skrievers and relegated me to the role of caretaker. Thanks to your friends, however, I've regained my skrievers and have been collecting as much information as I can about this place. As such, I believe I've discovered something of interest to you."

"Yeah?" Aria said, putting a hand on her hip. "What's that?"

"I don't know." Mirabelle's image vanished, focusing on an area of the map that was dark. "Even the station's scanners won't penetrate this area. It's been deliberately sealed away from outside surveillance ... for the most part."

"For the most part, huh?" Glen said with a grin. "You found a way around it."

Mirabelle nodded. "My skrievers. Now that they're under my control, I've been able to access their memories."

An image appeared on Headache's display, an image that made her smile fade. "Oh, hell."

"You recognize this?" Mirabelle asked.

"Only too well." Glen said, eyes narrowing.

"What?" Aria said, her eyes searching Glen's face. "What is it?"

"Trouble." Glen said. "C'mon; we gotta deal with this."

Glen walked quickly out of the junction station and down the corridor. She moved so fast that Aria had to job to keep up.

"Glen?" Aria said, clearly bothered by Glen's unusual seriousness. "Is it the Reaper?"

"No, but it could easily be worse, especially if the Illusive Man finds a way to twist it to his purpose."

A soldier rounded the corner. Surprise registering immediately, he barely manage to raise his rifle before Glen closed the distance and planted his face into the corridor wall with enough force to crush the soldier's helmet.

"Wow." Aria said, eyeing the splatter of blood now on the wall.

"I don't like killing people, but if the Illusive Man's doing what I think he's doing, we do not have time to goof around with Cerberus lackeys." Glen said, her face grim.

They moved quickly through the corridors. The few soldiers who had the misfortune of crossing their path did not last long. Aria's gaze was filled with a newfound respect for Glen as the human brought down groups of soldiers in a matter of seconds with a flurry of blades, punches, and energy blasts.

Glen didn't even flinch when an alarm sounded through the corridors. She continued walking, Aria bringing up the rear, until they reached a large reinforced door.

"This might take a minute." Glen said, linking Headache into the door controls. "Cover me."

"Sure." After a few moments, Aria asked, "So, you gonna tell me what we're about to walk into?"

After a few moments of silence, Glen said, "The Glyche Confederation was an interplanetary government that oversaw thousands of worlds. They helped developing civilizations, stopped others that grew too militant, and brought about an age of prosperity to those under their banner. Technologically, they were very advanced."

"How advanced?" Aria asked.

"In their home galaxy, they were even strong enough to ward off the Reapers on their own, no Crucible needed."

Aria stared. "Damn."

Glen nodded in agreement. "They were into genetic modification in a big way, and to their credit, they were good at it. The average Glych lived hundreds of years, and wouldn't show signs of aging until near death. Disease didn't exist; their transversion cells acted as an immune system, altering their bodies to resist any disease that posed a threat. Unfortunately, the Glyche took it too far; they modified themselves right into sterility."

"They ... oh."

"Right. Still, they had the best technology in several galaxies; they set to work on the problem and came up with three solutions. While they couldn't reverse the sterility, they did find a way to make themselves compatible to other species. Truth is, I used the same tech to perfect the omni-treatment I used on Tali and Shepard."

A smile crept across Aria's face. "I kinda wondered; shoulda known you'd have a hand in that."

"Yeah, well it worked with them, and I missed having nieces and nephews to spoil. I didn't mean for it to get commercialized, but hey; at least now I don't have to dig up my notes on it for Finn and Kyra. Anyway, a lot of the Glyche didn't care for that option, as part of the treatment affected DNA in such a way that the kids always got the traits of the non-Glyche parent."

"So the Glyche were still technically on the way out." Aria shook her head. "Reminds me of a few old partners; couldn't stand the idea that any kids we might have wouldn't be of their species."

"You thought about having kids?"

"Yeah." Aria said, suddenly defensive. "So? That a problem?"

Glen paused to consider a motherly Aria before shaking her head. "Anyway, some Glyche kept trying to genetically manipulate their way out of sterility. Didn't work; the problem had been building up for ages; even if they managed to yank out whatever was causing sterilty, there was no telling what kind of problems it'd cause to their genetic structure."

Glen paused, a smile crossing her face. "And then there was Thomas Desygan. A genius among the Glyche, the man who created the CICs, artificial intelligences that thought like people first and computers second. He decided that if he and his wife couldn't have children, he'd build his own. And he did."

The door slid open. The chamber beyond was dark, so dark that it was impossible to see how large it really was. After glancing around for a few moments, the flashlight on Headache reflected off a reflective surface.

"You mean like an android?" Aria asked, her voice a nervous whisper.

Glen shook her head. "Nah, nothing so coarse. Tom wanted a being that would improve itself over time, growing and changing until it looked like anyone else. Core units, we called them. Appearance wise, they looked ..."

They reached the reflective surface. Glen shone her light at the glass illuminating the figure within.

Sighing, Glen said. "... like that."

The figure in the pod remained still. Its face was covered with a smooth gray skin; there was no nose, no ears, nothing but a pair of eyes (currently closed) and a mouth. The body was humanoid in shape, but clearly artificial in nature as the joints were exposed and limbs were covered with plates of protective plating.

Aria frowned. "They way you were talking them up, I was expecting more."

"This is just the base form." Glen said. "Once its base programming reaches a certain level, it will upgrade itself. More realistic skin, gender, hair, facial features ... the ability to dream."

"Get out of here." Aria said. "It's a machine."

"It's a machine that will become a person." Glen checked the control panel on the side of the pod. "They were meant to be the continuation of the Glyche, the children that would keep the Glyche Confederation from dying."

After a long moment of silence, Aria asked. "What happened?"

Glen opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, a horribly familiar voice said, "Instead, they hastened its end. Isn't that right, Missus Soleil?"

The core unit's eyes were open now, looking straight at Glens. It wore a smile on its face, a cold smile made all the more eerie by the absence of other features.

Glen and Aria stepped back in shock as the pod slid open and tilted so that the core unit could step outside of the pod. It did so slowly, as though testing out its legs.

"One of the Glyche, a person of considerable political clout, decided these children would be better used as soldiers. Manipulating a glitch, no pun intended, he managed to insert his own programming and take control of the core units. His plan involved mass experimentation with the intent of improving the transversion cells, allowing the Glyche traits to remain dominant. That's when the kidnappings started; small in number at first, but gradually growing as more and more core units were 'corrupted'. By the time the Council knew what was happening, it was too late."

"Too late for what?" Aria asked slowly, her gaze going from Glen to the core unit.

Glen, however, was focusing on the core unit. "Jack? Is that you?"

The core unit's smile widened. "It is indeed, Missus Soleil."

Seeing Aria's confused look, Glen took a deep breath and said, "It's the Illusive Man."


	21. Chapter 21 - For Old-Times Sake

**Chapter 21**

 **For Old Times' Sake**

Aria raised her rifle to fire. The core unit was faster; grabbing the rifle and pulling it from Aria's grasp before smashing it against the side of the pod.

Glen was next to attack, Headache's fusion blades slicing through the air. The Illusive Man lived up to his name, easily flipping and twisting out of the way of Glen's attacks before taking a sizeable leap out of Glen's reach.

Aria had her pistols out by that point, and joined Glen in opening fire on the core unit. The Illusive Man's new body darted around the shots, only taking those that did little to no damage against his reinforced form.

"If I could have a moment-" The Illusive Man's attempt to converse was cut short by another shot from Aria. Her pistol spent, she tossed it aside and drew a knife with a glowing edge.

"Aria, you can't-" Glen tried to warn, but Aria was already upon the core unit. Her direct approach must've caught the Illusive Man off guard, as her knife cut through the reinforced plating across his chest, partially exposing a glowing core.

Glen joined in the attack, one sweep of Headache slicing through the unit's right arm. Glen and Aria tackled the core unit to the floor, both struggling to hold it down.

"The core!" Glen said, trying to avoid the sparking stump that remained of the core unit's right arm. "Break the core!"

Aria didn't even hesitate in bringing her knife straight down into the glowing core. The core unit fell inert immediately, the light in its blue eyes fading.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Glen rose to her feet and helped Aria to do the same. Aria reloaded her pistol's heat sink and promptly emptied it into the core unit's frame, blasting what was left of the core housing into a mess of wires, metal, and circuitry.

"You realize the Illusive Man's still alive, right?" Glen said.

"Yeah. Still, that felt good. Don't know why you were so freaked, though." Aria said, acting as though everything had gone according to plan. "It went down easily enough."

"It didn't stick you with anything, did it?" Glen asked, her eyes darting across what little of Aria's skin was visible. "No scratches or anything?"

"No, nothing." Aria paused, no doubt catching the nervousness in Glen's tone. More cautiously, she asked, "What happened to the Glyche?"

"The guy who corrupted them to his purpose succeeded. Despite attempts to stop him beforehand, some by myself thank you very much, he found a way to alter the transversion cells to force 'lesser' DNA into submissiveness, allowing the stronger DNA to become dominant. Lesser and stronger by his definition, of course ... or so he thought. He forgot the core units had DNA of their own, DNA that's reinforced against disease, resistant to degradation, and very very adaptive. It was subtle at first, but in a short time, thousands were infected, their bodies slowly converted."

Glen rested her eyes on the broken body of the core unit. "What was meant to give the Glyche more time ended taking it up away. Worse yet, it started to spread; it nearly engulfed the entire planet before it was finally stopped."

"You?" Aria asked.

"I was just part of the effort." Glen said. "The real hero was Thomas Desygan. Still, the corruption was adaptive; isolated pockets adapted, infected archaeologists and explorers who happened across hidden installations. Fortunately, people were on guard by that point; while there were a few bad resurgences of corruption, none came close that first one that damn near succeeded."

"Then just a scratch ..."

"... is all it would take." Glen finished. "Yeah."

"Is that why you're here?" said the voice of the Illusive Man, hidden in the shadows of the room.

Aria and Glen spun around, looking for the source of the voice as he continued, "You thought I would use the corruption to ... what? Infect people to bring them to my cause? To convert them into Reapers? Missus Soleil, I'm surprised at you."

"Miss Soleil?" Aria repeated.

Glen sighed. "Me."

"I thought your last name was Adams."

"Really not the time for this conversation."

The Illusive Man's laughter echoed around the room, indicating much more space than Glen previously thought.

"The Trybus facility, home to your friend Mirabelle, was one of several built after the Corruption. The surviving Glyche made certain the Corruption and its consequences were well documented in her data files. Even had they not deleted the information on constructing transversion cells, did you think I was going to follow the Reapers' path? Genetically alter the life in this universe to my way of thinking?"

"You blew up Omega." Glen said, but doubt was already seeping in.

"Yes, I destroyed a festering cesspool of corruption, in hopes that it will send a message to the slavers and drug-dealers and assorted dregs of the universe that their actions will not be accepted under my guardianship. I did not, however, infect the station with genetic-altering nanobots to forcibly convert all the people on the station into some sort of hybrid bio-synthetic lifeform that is programmed to think exactly what I want them to think. I ask you, Glen, which is worse?"

"Show yourself!" Aria shouted. "You coward!"

"If you insist."

A pair of blue lights with the tell-tale pattern of the Illusive Man's eyes appeared only a few meters away from Aria. She wasted no time in running toward the eyes, only to vanish into the darkness. After a few moments, the sounds of scuffling changed into the sounds of an asari woman trying desperately to breath.

"Aria!" Glen took a step forward, only to stop as another pair of blue eyes activated in the darkness, followed by another and another. Soon, dozens of pairs of eyes were watching Glen as she heard Aria continue to struggle. A quick glance around found more behind Glen; they were all around her at this point.

The lights on the chamber came up, revealing hundreds of core constructor pods. As Glen watched, more of the pods tilted to allow the core units within to step out. One of the core units had Aria by the throat and was holding her in mid-air.

"Let her go!" Glen said.

"Or?" The Illusive Man said, many of the core units taking a step toward Glen. They didn't move beyond that; they didn't need to.

"You already destroyed Omega, Jack." Glen said. "You've destroyed the worst of Omega; Aria may not be a saint, but does she deserve to die? C'mon, man, I know you have a low-down on the way Omega works; if anything, she made things better for the innocent and defenseless of the station. She set up places for the homeless, gave them means to earn something of a living, set up orphanages ... hell, she even funded the Archangels to help keep the place safe. She may have done it under the table, but she really cared about those people."

When the Illusive Man didn't respond, Glen said, "C'mon, Jack; doesn't everyone deserve a chance to be a better person? I know my past hasn't always been squeaky clean."

The core unit holding Aria bowed his head even as her struggling grew weak. "Do you think even the worst person can change? That everybody can be a better person if they just try?"

Glen stared, her mouth hanging open for a moment before she caught herself. "Where did you hear that?"

"Finn's little friend, Jake. I must confess, I did not expect to hear that from him, especially seeing as he saw the destruction of Omega."

The core unit lowered Aria and released her. She promptly fell to her knees, gasping for air as she clung to the side of one of the constructor pods. He looked to Glen. "You seem surprised. Do you think I am beyond the concept of mercy?"

"No, it's not that." Glen said. "I just ... that was the last thing a friend of mine said to me during the Reaper War when I asked him for advice."

After a brief pause, the Illusive Man said, "You were asking about me, weren't you?"

Sighing, Glen nodded.

The Illusive Man sighed himself. "I can't deny the Reapers had some influence on my behavior back then. While I stand as proof that control was a viable option, I nevertheless do feel some regret at some of my actions. Fortunately, our friend Shepard was able to succeed."

"And the Reapers?" Glen said, "You're no longer influenced by them?"

"Not in the slightest. What was once an overpowering sea of voices is nothing more than a single whisper, and even it has faded over recent years."

The eyes of all the core units followed the one who spoke as it walked toward Glen. "While I admit I intend to make use of these core units, a large part of that is personal in nature. My body, after all, died by Shepard's hand, and deservedly so. Since then, my existence has expanded ... yet I must admit, I have missed having a proper body. These are not true core units; they are merely shells, with no intelligence of their own."

He took a moment to examine his hand before looking back at Glen. "So, I image Missus T'soni has given the recall order, yes?"

Glen's eyes widened. She couldn't quite stop herself from blurting out, "I don't know what you mean."

"Come now, Glen, give me some credit. Did you really think I never noticed you and your friends wandering around the station? My mind is linked into this station; I'm aware of every console accessed, every program activated, every lock bypassed. Besides ..."

The door to the chamber opened, revealing four soldiers, one with a partially smashed helmet. The soldiers removed their helmets, revealing the smooth gray faces of core units.

"As you can see, I have other means of watching the goings-on of my station."

"And you just let us do it?" Glen said, brow furrowed. "Why? Surely you could stop us."

"Not all of the men and women under my command are core units. I've subtly made sure to keep them away from your teams." The Illusive Man paused before saying, "I am not a monster, Glen. I hope to show Finn that, and by association the Shadow Broker. With her help, this could go so much more smoothly."

"Glen." Aria said, still out of breath. "You can't ... seriously be ... agreeing with this ... this monster."

"The Illusive Man's a human consciousness housed in the shell of a Reaper. That doesn't necessarily make him a monster." Glen sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Even monsters aren't monsters ... not in the sense you'd think."

"Then why be enemies?" The Illusive Man asked. "We could work together, just like in the old days."

Aria stared at Glen, shock clear on her face as Glen smiled and said, "The old days. I still think about those days, you know. You, Ben, Eva; even ol' Williams. Things were so much simpler in those days."

Silence fell over the room as Glen thought to herself. "If you'd caught me a few hundred years ago, I probably wouldn't think much about it either way. I was angry, impatient, just trying to do something with the vague sense of good without having to think much about the consequences. That's when I met him."

"Him?" The Illusive Man asked.

"Yeah. Bigger scoundrel than me, way more unpredictable, and damn did he have a knack for finding trouble without looking for it. I was in a bad way when he found me; about to blow up half a planet all because of a tantrum. I'm not proud of that, but he talked me down, let me travel with him for awhile, tried to show me a better way, a way to change the universe for the better without resorting to violence."

Sighing, Glen shook her head. "And I didn't listen. Thing is, he was right. I was just too stubborn to admit it. We ended up parting ways because of it, but I've always regretted it."

"What were you wrong about?" The Illusive Man asked.

"I felt that sometimes violence was the answer. I felt that there were situations where there was no other choice but to injure or kill others to achieve a good ending, so to speak." Shaking her head, Glen said, "Violence isn't a plan; it's what you do when a plan fails. If you have to take a life, then something got screwed up along the way."

"Doesn't that prove a dilemma?" The Illusive Man asked. "If you set yourself against me, wouldn't your goal be my death?"

"No." Glen said. "It would be your redemption. Everyone deserves a second chance, even you. Even me. If I learned anything from the Doctor, it's that."

"I see." The Illusive Man said. "And you feel that I've crossed the line in destroying Omega."

"There were good people on the station." Glen said, knowing that she was about to get into a fight she probably couldn't win, Dreamer or no. "Innocent is a naive term, but there were definitely people who deserved a better chance."

"There was no better way, Finn admitted as much."

"No, there was no easy better way. Fixing people isn't something that can be done quickly, Jack. How long did you believe that humanity deserved to be at the forefront of the galaxy? How long did you think that somehow humans were better than the other species?"

"I never thought that." The Illusive Man said, a note of annoyance in his voice. "Humanity was entering a galaxy working against us. Someone needed to look out for our interests."

"Even if said interests put others in danger?" Glen said.

The Illusive Man sighed. "This ... is an old argument, Glen. One we've had before, I believe, and it's no longer relevant. I don't want to protect the galaxy just for humanity; I want to protect it for everyone."

"And I believe you." Glen said. "You have changed, and I honestly thing its for the better, even after Omega. The problem is that I think Omega was just the start. Even with the help of the Shadow Broker and me, can you promise me no more innocent people will die?"

The Illusive Man didn't respond, which was in of itself an answer. Sighing, Glen said, "I'm sorry, Jack, but life isn't a math equation; it doesn't matter if more bad people than good people die; good people still die. I can't accept that."

"I see." The Illusive man said with a definite note of sadness in his voice.

Glen glanced around at the core units surrounding her. "So what now? You gonna make all your little drones attack me?"

"No." The answer was immediate and decisive. The core units blocking the passage to the door stepped aside. "You may leave. You saved my life back on Palavan, a debt I've never had the opportunity to repay. I do ask that you consider my offer, however; while I can't promise that no innocents will be caught in the crossfire, I believe your assistance might help further lessen the death toll."

"I ... I will think about it.' Glen said, giving him a nod. She took a few steps toward the door before saying, "C'mon, Aria; no use hanging around here."

Several of the core units grabbed her before she could respond.

"I'm sorry, Glen, but I can't let her go free."

Glen froze for a moment before slowly turning back to the Illusive Man. "Why not?"

"Because while I believe you, Finn, and Missus T'soni might be amenable to persuasion, Miss T'loak is not. I trust your judgement and that of Finn in saying she has done good things on Omega, but she nevertheless allowed the corruption to fester in her station. Her knowledge of the various gangs, drug and slave networks and smuggling rings will be invaluable in rooting out the sources of corruption in the Terminus Systems."

"I'm not gonna just-" Glen stopped. She'd taken one step forward, at which every core unit in the room turned to face her as one. Glen felt her foot automatically slid back.

"I harbor no illusion about killing you." The Illusive Man said, "Much as myself, your form is only a shell after all. Still, I believe it takes your body a short time to regenerate, whereas I have plenty of shells here to control."

He was right; fighting here was pointless, especially seeing as core units were in part originally designed from schematics of Glen's Impulse gear, including Headache. Still, she couldn't bring herself to just abandon Aria.

"Well, shoot." Glen said, "I guess there's only one thing left to say."

The Illusive Man nodded. "Goodbye, Glen. I hope we meet again in less stressful circumstances."

He took a few steps toward Aria before Glen said, "Actually, I meant 'turbo-cheesecake'."

Every core unit in the room immediately fell to the ground in a heap. Glen didn't stop to watch them, she leapt at the door and slammed Headache through the opening before the door could fully close.

"Aria!" She shouted while trying to push the door open. "Get over here!"

Aria wasted no time in meeting Glen at the door. Gratitude in her eyes, she said, "How'd you do that?"

"You kidding? I helped design the original core units. The Glyche are great, but only an idiot makes a machine without putting in an emergency shut-off switch. It ain't gonna last long though, and you can bet the Illusive Man's gonna make it a lot harder from here on out."

Together, they managed to open the door enough for them to slip through. Glen tore Headache free, the door slamming into place a moment later.

"Look, thank you, Gle-"

"Yeah, thank me when we're outta here. Listen, get your men back to the hangar; Finn's got some kind of plan to get outta here, and you're gonna wanna get in on that. Or, y'know, you could stay."

"I'm going, I'm going." Aria said. "But what about you?"

"I've gotta go pick up an old friend."


	22. Chapter 22 - Cheese it!

**Chapter 22**

 **Cheese it!**

Finn's return to consciousness was met with a nasty headache.

"Wha ...?" He said, his hand going to the circlet of ivies around his head.

Eri was there in an instant. "Finn! How are you feeling?"

"Like a krogan hit me with a hammer."

"A ladle, actually." Darsan quickly tried to hide the ladle behind his back. "Innocent; that's what I heard, anyway."

"Well, glad to see you in one piece. Speaking of." Eri handed over Finn's sidearm, which Finn was only too eager to take.

An alarm shot through Finn's mind. "Wait ... Greg! Alea!"

"Already on their way to our escape ship." Eri said. "They're safe."

Finn slowly rose to his feet with Eri's help. Jake bounded over to his younger brother, tail-end wagging.

"Hey, Jake." Finn said, rubbing the top of Jake's face plate. "Fill me in on what I missed."

"Not much." Jake said. "We're trying to get that guy Liara wanted out of the stasis pod without killing him."

"Ah, right." Feeling confused, Finn glanced around the chamber. "and where are we?"

"The Illusive Man's makeshift navigational computer, according to Hylia. These pillars have people in 'em, and the Illusive Man's using 'em to move this whole station around!"

"Not the station." It was Mirabelle who spoke. She bowed her head at Finn. "Nice to meet you, Mister Cresste."

"Likewise." Finn replied. After growing up with Jake, treating artificial intelligences (or central intelligence constructs) like people was just second nature to Finn. "You were saying?"

"I've been examining the link more closely; while it's definitely a navigation system, I don't think it was meant for the station itself."

Finn nodded. "The Illusive Man is using living pilots. Greg and Alea were probably just two of many. He's got the living component necessary for flying, and he's been recruiting streamers. Why bother with this?"

"For smaller crafts. Gunships, star fighters, troop transports. A ship goes down, the piloting intelligence just gets put in a new ship."

"Invading forces." Finn said. "The Illusive Man's phase two. Destroy the big sources of corruption, then use smaller forces to establish control on individual worlds."

"Confused; but there are only about fifty people here." Darsan said. "How would he establish control on other worlds if he can only hit one at a time?"

"I dunno." Finn said, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe he's got enough people to leave a sizeable force behind."

"Seed Cerberus on the worlds?" Eri stopped, his mandibles falling. "If he hasn't already."

"Oh, I'm sure has." Finn nodded at Sherle and Hylia. "How's it coming?"

"We've almost got it figured out." Sherle said, not looking away from the console. "Just a few more minutes."

That was when the alarm sounded.

Ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach, Finn said, "Well, we knew it was only a matter of time. Sherle?"

"Working on it!"

Hylia glanced at him. "Liara prioritized retrieving the flash drive; we could just pull him out now and take it."

"But he'd die, right?" Finn said.

Hylia nodded. "four-hundred years of aging in a matter of seconds. It probably won't be pretty either. You're the leader, so its your call."

Finn rubbed his head, trying to think. Ultimately, he said, "We'll wait it out."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We got a way out of here, right?"

"Cheery; Oh, yeah. Glen and her group have us covered."

One of the chamber doors opened. Eri and Finn took aim at the doorway, but fortunately, it was just Glen.

"Hey." Glen said, "Listen, we're gonna want to be getting out of here really fast."

Finn raised an eyebrow at her. "You set off the alarm?"

"Well, yeah, but it was either that or leave Aria."

"Aria's alive?"

"Yeah. Should be heading back to the hanger if she took my advice." Nodding at the pillar, Glen asked, "We almost done here?"

"We're working on it!" Sherle said, a note of irritation in her voice.

"I don't suppose we could get more people out." Finn said, but Mirabelle's hologram was already shaking her head.

"These stasis pods are touchy; I could likely adapt Hylia and Sherle's work to other pods, but it would take more time."

"Which we definitely don't have, got it." Glen said. "All right; so what's the plan, Finn?"

Finn struggled to think with the combined distractions of his headache and the blaring of the alarm. "Glen, can you jam some of the entrances into the chamber? Not all of them; we need a way or two our just in case."

"Got it." Glen glanced around for a moment. "Four doors into the room, one in each cardinal direction; I'm gonna knock out the two closest to Sherle and Hylia."

"Sounds good." Finn gave Jake a pat on the head. "You and I will take one, and Eri and Xyn will watch the other one."

Eri headed to one of the far doors, only to stop when he realized Xyn wasn't following. She's been standing in the same place ever since Finn awoke, swaying side to side with a distant look in her eyes.

"Xyn?" Eri said, hurrying over to her. "Xyn, honey, are you okay?"

She started to giggle; not her usual warm giggle, but a creepy laugh that set Finn's teeth on edge.

"Uh, Xyn?" Finn said uncertainly. "Can you hear me?"

She just kept laughing, an almost hysterical note slowly filling what should've been a sound of mirth.

"I feel her presence." Xyn said, her voice overlaid with another, more child-like voice.

Finn's face paled. "Glen! Glen, get over here! We've got a problem!"

"Just a sec!" Glen finished fiddling with the second door she'd indicated before jogging over to where Xyn was still laughing.

"Is it the colander?" Eri asked, one hand on the side of his head.

Glen shook her head. "Can't be. I've used this before on humans and non-humans, and this never happened."

Xyn stopped laughing. Slowly, her head turned to face Glen, her eyes blood red and her smile stretching creepily across her face.

"Those with darkness from her do run!" She sand, her voice overlaid with another, more child-like voice. "One of many, and yet still One."

Glen's body went rigid. "Where did you hear that?"

Xyn laughed in Glen's face before continuing to sing.

 _Those with darkness from her do run_

 _One of many, and yet still One_

 _Lost in time and far from her home_

 _her chosen path she walks alone_

 _She travels seeking her lost mate_

 _but to get back, she'll have to wait._

 _Silver and jade, her chosen hues_

 _praise your luck if she stands by you_

 _for things aren't as bad as they seem_

 _when you're with Glen, the Light of Dreams_

"How do you know that rhyme?" Glen said disbelief clear on her face only to turn to a look of realization, "Who the hell are you?"

Xyn only laughed in reply, much to the discomfort of everyone. After a few moments, she repeated the rhyme, that same creepy smile on her face.

Letting out a frustrated grunt, Glen said, "Eri, keep an eye on her ... and I mean keep an eye on her! I'll help Finn watch the doors. Finn?"

"On it." Finn hurried to one of the doors with Jake close behind while Glen handled the other on her own, still clearly a little shaken from Xyn's episode.

It didn't take long for the first of the soldiers to arrive.

"Huh. Actual soldiers." Glenn said, seemingly to herself. "I guess we warranted an all-hands alert. Good news for us, I suppose."

"What?" Finn asked.

"Nothing; look, these aren't his big guns, but I'm pretty sure they're heading here. The Illusive Man's been playing us this far, and after the stunt I just pulled, I don't know how friendly he's inclined to be."

"Noted." Finn said, making sure his pistol had a fresh heat sink. He glanced at Jake as Glen started firing through her doorway. "Any ideas?"

Finn glanced back to see Jake pulling his gaze away from Sherle and Hylia. "Huh? Oh, you mean to slow 'em down?"

"At this point, I'm open to suggestions."

"Give me a sec."

Jake's backplate retracted, revealing a small screwdriver-like device Finn had seen him use before. Jake ran into the hallway, the tip lighting up as a shrill piercing sound shot through the air. The electrical systems near him immediately started to go haywire all around him. Those soldiers who took aim quickly found themselves running for cover as the panels and lights around them overloaded, showering the corridor with arcs of electricity, clear glass-like shards, and smoke.

Jake trotted back, the strange device already sliding into his back.

"Hopefully, we won't have to go that way." Finn said reproachfully.

Jake pouted. "You said you were open to suggestions."

Sighing, Finn said, "Yeah, I guess I did."

They kept an eye out as best they could, but the soldiers were definitely avoiding the malfunctioning passage. Unfortunately, a spray of sparks from one of the closed doors made it clear that some of them weren't perturbed by Glen's seals.

Glen was firing blasts from Headache now, her brow furrowed in concentration. She ducked back inside the door to let her arm-mounted weaponry cool off, though she was always quick to move back.

Finn continued watching his door, nervously glancing at the closed passages; there were signs of cutting torches on both now, the progress already nearly a quarter of the way through on the first.

"Sherle, I don't know how much more time we've got left here." Finn called out.

"We're almost there!" She called back. "Just give me another minute!"

Glen's door slammed shut. Catching Finn's glance, she said, "Too many soldiers; we're not getting out that way."

Finn glanced down his corridor; the volatile nature of the corridor made it a risky means of escape. The soldiers were no doubt past the malfunctioning areas, either waiting for the systems to return to normal or for Finn and company to try and escape.

With a frustrated sigh, he closed the door. "Jake?"

"On it." Jake's little mayhem device activated, promptly frying the door controls

Glen stopped in her tracks and stared at Jake ... or more specifically, the little device sliding into his back compartment. "Jake, where did you get that?"

"Picked it up in Omega." Jake said brightly. "It's my good luck charm."  
Glen opened her mouth to reply when Sherle called out, "There! We're bringing him out!"

The glowing screens around the pillar vanished as the pillar itself shifted. The outer layers of the chamber spun around, either sliding down into the floor or up into the ceiling until exposing the man within.

He stirred slightly on the metal bed to which he was secured, his eyes slowly opening to reveal dazed green eyes.

"Eeye ... wha?" He mumbled, his lips trying and failing to form proper words.

"Easy there." Sherle said, "We're here to get you outta here."

The shackles holding him on the bed released. Sherle grabbed his arm to help him stand, only to feel the bone crack.

The man led out a cry of pain. "Ow! Watch it!"

"I'm ... I'm sorry." Sherle said, "I didn't mean ..."

The pain was enough to fully awaken the man's cognitive functions. Clutching his arm, he said between clenched teeth. "Careful; I've got Vrolik's syndrome."

"Brittle bones?" Hylia said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought they cured that decades ago."

"Yeah, well I guess I missed it." The man said.

"Stop whining, Jeff!" Glen called out. "You're alive, aren't you?"

The man peered in the direction of her voice. "Hang on; I recognize that insulting tone. That you, Glen?"

"Yeah, it's me. Look, I hate to rush you, but we need to get the hell out of here right now. Can you walk?"

"I think ..." The man felt at his legs, his eyes widening. "Damn, they took my braces!"

"Great." Glen muttered. She hurried over to Joker, already slipping out of her harness. With some difficulty, she strapped it around Joker before giving him her tek-boots as well.

"Whoa; do I get Headache too?"He said, seemingly delighted.

"Keep dreaming." Glen said as she clicked the last connector into place. "All right; try it now."

The man slowly rose to his feet, testing the makeshift exoskeleton. "Okay; this'll work, I think."

Finn glanced around the room; they nearly cut through one of the doors, with the other not far behind; the door Glen was previously watching was now being but with a plasma torch as well, leaving only the door to the malfunctioning hallway, the door panel of which was currently out of commission thanks to Jake's good luck charm.

"Okay." Glen said, approaching the door about to be breached, "I'm gonna go all out and clear a path; don't follow too close, and I'll try to-"

Glen stopped, her and everyone else's attention on Xyn as she laughed all the louder.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Jeff asked, to which Glen could only shrug.

"Someone's about to have a bad time." Xyn giggled moments before the cutting torches suddenly stopped.

Finn's eyes darted to every door; all three previously being cut showed no further activity, though loud thumps and screams sounded from the corridors beyond.

"Uh, Glen?" Jeff asked, giving her an odd look. "This your brand of weirdness?"

"Not me." Glen said, eyeing the doorways with an air of surprise mingled with caution.

As the sounds outside the corridors fell silent, Finn slowly approached the door that was nearly open. With a glance at Glen, who quickly took up position beside the door, Finn kicked the cut portion of the door the rest of the way out, exposing the corridor beyond.

The remains of over a dozen core unit soldiers lay strewn about the corridor, ripped apart as though by some unseen force. Only one body remained intact, face down in the center of the corridor with a knife in its back.

After surveying the scene for a long, silent moment, Finn said, "You know what? I'm not gonna question it. Let's move!"

Glen hung back from the group and knelt beside the lone body. She pulled the knife from the core unit, muttering to herself just loud enough for Finn to hear. "Severed the main power link with one thrust ... but who would take on a core unit with a knife, let alone a whole group of them? The blade's not even sharp; it's like someone purposefully dulled it. Hang on; there's something on the handle."

Finn glanced around nervously as Glen pulled something from the handle of the knife that looked like a folded-up piece of paper. She unfolded it and stared at it in silence. Finn was surprised to see it was some sort of crude colored drawing; he couldn't see it well, but whatever it was seemed to give Glen pause.

"Glen!" Finn said after she failed to do or say anything for a few moments, "You said it yourself; we need to hurry."

Shaking her head, Glen said, "Right. I'll worry about it later."

Slipping the knife and the paper into one of Headache's storage compartments for further analysis, Glen hurried after the rest of Finn's group.


	23. Chapter 23 - Narrow Escape

**Chapter 23**

 **Narrow Escape**

By the time Glen and company reached the hanger, they managed to attract a few more guards. Glen, Eri, and Finn stayed at the back of the group, Finn and Eri taking pot shots at the soldiers while Glen used the deflective shields of Headache to protect the rest of the group from stray bullets.

Once they all were in the hanger, Finn slammed his hand on the emergency bulkhead release, bringing down a heavy blast door that blocked the corridor and cut them off from the soldiers.

The Centurian Hawk was floating beside Aria's ship, the latter now fully freed from its cage. Most of Finn's team remained outside of the ships, no doubt helping to keep the area secure. Aria was there as well, her rifle in hand as she scanned the chamber for threats. Spotting Finn, she waved him over.

"Glad to see you alive." Finn said as they drew near.

"You and me both." She said, her voice still tense. "Is everyone here?"

"Assuredly; yes." This came from Darsan, who was moving toward them. "Tuck and his group got back just before you."

"Not a moment too soon." Finn said, "Time to get the hell out of here. Your ship good?"

"Good enough." Aria said. "I could use a pilot, though."

Finn opened his mouth to agree, only for the man Glen referred to as Jeff to brush past him. "Got you covered."

"Are you sure?" Sherle said uncertainly. "You've been under for a long time."

"All the more reason to start flying again. Hey, Glen? You mind helping me out?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Glen said, following Jeff into the ship. "Wouldn't want my gear cramping your style, mister 'I can feel the movements of the ship with my butt'."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get me to my seat so I can take your precious Impulse toys off."

Finn couldn't help but notice Aria watching as Jeff and Glen disappeared into the ship.

"It's like a damn reunion." She said, shaking her head. "All right; so what's the plan?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." Glen said, glancing at the rest of the team in hopes of an answer. That answer came from Tuck, who said, "Null worries; we got the outer hatch rigged to open at our command."

"Okay, so we'll fly through the transfer tunnels to the other hanger and get out of here." Finn said, desperately hoping that for once, it would be that simple. "All right; we'll take the lead."

A blast from an energy rifle hit the side of Aria's ship, narrowly missing both Aria and Finn. With a final startled nod at each other, they both ran for their respective ships, Finn's team following after him.

Finn hung back and waited for the rest of his team to board the Centurion Hawk before running up the ramp himself, the ramp raising the moment he stepped on it. After doing a quick headcount of the rest of his team, he hurried toward the front of the ship, where Shavan's crew waited.

"Hello everyone," Finn said, taking the co-pilot's seat. "I'm Jake, and this is my little brother, Finn Cresste. We'll be supervising this escape flight today. Please place your tray tables in the upright and-"

"Thank you, Jake." Finn said as he took the ship's controls. "Everyone hold on; this might get a little bumpy."

The Centurion Hawk rose in the air, attracting some weaponsfire from the soldiers rapidly converging on the center of the hanger. Fortunately, the shields of the cargo vessel were specifically configured to protect against multiple small impacts, though usually the impacts in question came from small debris or the occasional meteor shower while passing through asteroid belts.

The transfer tunnel between the hangers wasn't exactly spacious, but then again, the Centurion Hawk was a fairly small vessel. It was also quite maneuverable, a necessary trait of any cargo ship travelling through the less reputable parts of the galaxy. Still, it was a relief when they entered the main hangar.

"All right." Finn said, activating the ship-wide intercom. "Tuck?"

He waited for a few moments, but nothing happened. "Uh, Tuck?"

There was a crackle as Tuck activated the ship-wide from wherever he currently was. "Hang on; I must've accessed the wrong command. Big fingers ... you know they make these damn omni-tools for you small-fingered-"

"Tuck!"

"Er, right."

When the hangar doors still refused to open, Tuck said, "Uh, We might have a problem."

Swearing, Finn said, "Jake, take the helm."

"The dog's taking the helm?" Shavan said, clearly alarmed.

"Don't worry about it; he's fine as long as he doesn't have to parallel park." Glen hurried away from the salarian before he could argue.

He reached the back of the ship, where he was met by Sherle, Darsan, Tuck, and Hylia.

"Xyn and Eri?" Finn asked.

"Nervous; they're fine. Xyn's back to normal, but she's still a little shaken by whatever the hell happened earlier."

"Fair enough." Finn stopped as Jake came running into the cargo hold.

"Who's flying?" He asked his brother.

"Fred." Jake said, "I ain't letting you go out there alone."

"Out there?" Sherle said a look of disbelief on her face. "Finn, you can't-"

"Whatever override Tuck set isn't working; we need to hack the controls directly." Finn activated the ramp. As it lowered, he said, "I get it if no one wants to come with."

"Like hell." Sherle said. "I'm coming along; I've still got the PIM, and you may need Mirabelle's help."

"I'm coming too." Hylia said. "With my tech-glove, I can hack into it in no time."

Darsan shuffled forward. "Uncomfortable; I'm not gonna be the only one staying behind."

"That's tha spirit!" Tuck gave Darsan a hearty pat on the back, earning himself a glare only an elcor can give.

Despite the situation, Finn couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, everyone. We get past this, and we're home free; I'll have us streaming outta here in no time."

This brought a cheer from the group. Once the ramp was close enough to the ground, Finn and Jake led the charge. After making sure the hangar was still clear, Finn motioned for the rest of the team to follow.

Once off the ship, Sherle led the way, Mirabelle directing her to the nearest console with access to the hatchway controls. It was good they had direction, because it didn't take long for the soldiers to realize what was going on.

Finn fired at the first of the soldiers; as usual, his shots came nowhere near the soldiers, yet were close enough to send them running for cover. Sherle's aim was better, but her attention was divided, leaving Finn and Tuck to do most of the shooting.

"There!" Sherle said, pointing at a station on the second floor of the hangar. She started toward the ladder only for Darsan to grab her with one massive hand.

"Reassuring; don't worry; just get ready to catch yourself."

"Wha-"

Darsan hurled her onto the second-floor landing, the throw just enough to clear the railing. She landed on her feet, stumbling a bit from the shock but quickly catching herself. Hylia was next; she landed easily beside Sherle. They ducked into the station, barely avoiding a few shots from the increasing number of guards.

Finn, Jake, Tuck, and Darsan hid behind a nearby starfighter that looked to be undergoing maintenance. With the weapon fire it was sustaining, it would likely be needing quite a bit more when Finn and company were gone.

This was when Finn spotted the core units. He didn't know what they were, of course; just that some of the soldiers in slightly different uniforms were proving unusually skilled at avoiding gunfire, and even more mysteriously, pulling others out of the line of fire just in time.

"Kinda makes you wonder, don't it?" Tuck commented, idly taking a shot at a soldier who wasn't quite behind cover.

"Wonder what?" Finn asked.

"What Glen did to piss 'em off."

More soldiers were heading their way from the other entrances into the hangar. Most fired at the ships, which seemed to be sustaining the abuse well so far. Still, the kinetic shields could only do so much, and the energy shields weren't unlimited.

Fortunately, Sherle and Hylia's efforts bore fruition; the hangar hatch slowly slid open, an energy-field preventing the lot of them from getting sucked out into space. Still, the sight of the stars and distant Noveria did much to life Finn's spirits.

Sherle and Hylia slid down the ladders and rejoined the group, both looking quite please with themselves.

"All right." Finn said, "We need a ..."

"Yaaaah!"

Aria's ship swung around the Centurion Hawk, pausing only a moment before slipping out of the hangar. In that moment, however, Glen leapt from their rapidly closing entry ramp and made a beeline for the largest group of soldiers, drawing much of their fire.

"Now!" Finn shouted.

His team made a run for the Centurion Hawk, which was already swinging close to give them easier access. Sherle and Tuck remained on the ramp, giving the rest of the team cover fire while they boarded.

As Darsan made his way up the ramp, Finn glanced at Glen; she fought like a feral thing, tearing and slicing apart the artificial soldiers and hurling them around like a woman deranged. Still, even more soldiers were entering the hangar, some of whom seemed to be setting up some kind of turret.

"Glen!" Finn shouted. "We're leaving!"

If Glen heard Finn, she didn't give any indication of it. Swearing under his breath, Finn ran down the ramp again with Jake at his heels.

"Dude, you sure she needs our help?" Jake asked as he ran alongside Finn.

"You have your lucky charm, I've got mine."

Glen tossed what remained of the last soldier foolish enough to try and match her at close range. At Finn's touch, she whirled around, eyes filled with a glow that reminded Finn of sunlight. Finn backed away, startled.

"Finn." Glen shook her head; when her eyes met Finn's the light was gone. "Sorry; got a little too intense there."

"That's fine; you ready to go?"

"Hell yeah."

Glen sped off toward the ship, her boots leaving blazing trails behind her. Finn and Jake followed, but Finn felt his stomach drop as he saw the hatch start to close.

"Finn!" Jake said.

"I see it! Just run!" Finn said. They ran as fast as they could at the Centurion Hawk, but it was clear they weren't going to get there fast enough.

"No!" Finn shouted as he saw Glen start back toward them. "There's no time! Get outta here!"

Glen hesitated for a moment, clearly torn, but quickly yelled something at those inside. The ramp remained open, however, the ship clearly giving them as much time as they could.

Unfortunately, despite Finn pushing himself so hard that he felt like his heart was about to give out, there just wasn't time. Finn collapsed to his knees as the Centurion Hawk was forced to fly through the hatch mere seconds before it closed. It was so close that Finn heard the scrape of the hull against the hatch doors for just a moment before the ship fled.

Jake slowed to a halt, a look of disbelief in his eyes. "We ... we didn't make it."

Finn nodded, gasping for breath. He could see soldiers approaching them on all sides; while he doubted the Illusive Man would kill him, Finn suspected he was likely to replace Jeff in the temporal hibernation chamber.

Just as the first soldiers drew near, however, a hail of energy blasts blew them into scrap. Finn's eyes darted to the side, where the Gradisian was exiting the transfer tunnel. The cockpit was already sliding open as the ship slowed to a halt beside Finn and Jake, Mirabelle's voice calling out, "Finn! Jake! Get inside! We don't have much time!"

Finn needed no prompting. Somehow forcing his exhausted body into motion, he picked up Jake and carried him up the side of the Gradisain before depositing him unceremoniously in the gunner's cockpit descended as Finn settled in the pilot's seat, Mirabelle's face appearing on the main console.

"I hope you don't mind if I catch a ride with you boys." She said.

"Mira ... the hatch."

"Forget about the hatch; the Illusive Man has it locked down tight now, and the weaponry of this ship isn't enough to blast our way through. Fortunately, we have another way, but it is a little unconventional."

"As opposed to?" Jake said.

Mirabelle smiled. "Fair enough. I'll need to send a transmission first, so Finn? If you'd be so kind, take us back to the storage hangar."

Finn didn't question her. The Gradisian sped through the transfer tunnels, the speedy starfighter narrowly avoiding security bulkheads that threatened to trap them.

Mirabelle's image returned as they neared the storage hanger.

"Stop here." She said. "We don't want to get caught in the blast."

"What blast?" Finn said moments before a massive explosion engulfed the hanger. Even inside the tunnel, the Gradisian's shields were pressed to their limit.

"Whoa!" Finn said, struggling to maintain control. "What the hell was that?"

"Part of Aria's goodbye present to the Illusive Man." Mirabelle said, a smug smile on her face. "And mine as well. Now hurry; we don't have much time!"

Finn did not need telling twice. The Gradisian sped into the devastated hangar, bits of ships banging off the kinetic shields as it shot through the large hole in the side of the massive station.

Almost immediately after exiting the station, the Gradisian's comm activated.

"Finn! Finn, please tell me that's you."

Finn slammed his hand on the respond button. "Kyra! Dear god, is it good to hear your voice! Yeah, it's me! We're out of the station!"

He heard her let out a strangled cry. "Oh, thank the ancestors. After what happened in Artemis Tau, I thought ... I mean ..."

"That I wasn't coming back?" Finn said, raising an eyebrow at the console. "Of course I wasn't gonna die there; I still have our proposal dinner to plan."

She let out a weak laugh. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Keep on your current course; we're coming to pick you up."

Finn was willing to view the Ulasomorf as the most beautiful ship in the galaxy after everything that happened, which was part of why he was so surprised when it was the Normandy that swung into position in front of him.

"Whoa!" Finn said, marveling at the sleek lines of the legendary ship. Shaking his head, he piloted the Gradisian into the shuttle bay, where Aria's escape vessel was already parked.

He barely had time to climb out of his ship before being tackled to the ground by Kyra. She caught his head, cradling it in her hands before it could hit the floor before pressing her lips to his. Jake let out a giggle, but neither Finn nor Kyra paid him any mind.

"All right, you two." Said the stern voice of Javik. "There will be time for that after we are far from here. Miss Shepard, I believe you are needed in the engine room."

"R-right." Kyra stood and helped Finn to his feet, giving him a final peck on the lips before hurrying away.

Seeing Javik's gaze on him, Finn felt his cheeks grow warm. "Um ..."

"You are needed in the front of the ship." Javik said. "While Mister Moreau feels he does not need assistance in flying the Normandy, four hundred years has done little to make my memories of his previous flights fade."


	24. Chapter 24 - Black Hole Sun

**Chapter 24**

 **Black Hole Sun**

The bridge was a flurry of activity, in the very center of which stood Liara. She was speaking with Mirabelle, The CIC's hologram ironically projected at the CIC.

"... stay in the Gradisian for the moment, if you please." Mirabelle said. "You wouldn't wear someone else's underwear, would you?"

"Er, no." Liara said, "I suppose not."

"Besides, I'm a facility CIC. I'd be confused on a Glyche Tug, let alone a sophisticated ship from a completely different civilization." Mirabelle nodded at Finn. "Fortunately, you've got navigation covered."

Liara turned, relief in her eyes when she saw Finn. "By the goddess, Finn, you like to cut it close!"

"Can't argue that." Finn said. "Thanks for the save."

"We're not out of it yet." She said, "I need you to help Joker pilot-"

Jeff, currently busy in the left pilot's seat up in the front of the bridge called back, "I told you, I don't need help."

"It's not up for debate!" Liara said sternly. Looking back at Finn, she said, "Help him. And Finn? Thanks for taking the time to save him. I know it was a risk."

"Not a problem. Taking risks is kinda my thing at this point." Finn ran to the front of the bridge and hopped into the right pilot's seat.

"Hey." Jeff said as Finn strapped himself in. "Look, I don't wanna sound ungrateful; y'know, you pullin' me outta carbonite and everything."

He held his hands palms outward and mimed being squashed flat, the goofy look on his face making Finn smile. "It's just ... the Normandy's my baby. It's ... well, it's personal."

"No offense taken." Finn said. "You fly, I'll try not to mess anything up. Once we're safe, she's all yours ... Jeff, was it?"

"Ugh; only my sister and Shepard called me that. Joker's fine."

Finn paused for a moment, the pieces clicking together. "Jeff 'Joker' Moreau? The original pilot of the Normandy."

"Aaand now I feel old." Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

Finn wasn't sure what to say. It's not everyday you find yourself face to face with one of your childhood heroes.

Unfortunately, his attention was soon forced elsewhere as a shudder ran through the ship.

Joker's hands were a flurry of motion. "We're losing speed!"

"What?" Liara said, "We just retrofitted the engines!"

"And it's not enough." Joker said. "Something's pulling us back."

"The Cerberus Sun-Cruncher!" Jake said.

"Okay," Joker said, still working his controls. "We are not calling it that."

"No, look!" Jake said, pointing back at the CIC.

Finn heard Liara whisper, "By the goddess!"

Glancing at Joker, Finn brought up the image on one of his consoles so he and Joker could see it. The massive station was splitting open like a flower in bloom. The 'petals' of the station slid open, revealing a nightmare of black metal. Hundreds, thousands of finger-like appendages filled the inside of the ship. At first, Finn was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, but row upon rows of the strange finger-like structures slowly unfolded as the station continued toward Noveria, its intent now fully clear. The Normandy and the Centurion Hawk were past the planet now, but were still getting pulled in by whatever force was now pulling Noveria into the Sun-Cruncher's maw.

"No." Joker whispered, his face pale. "That ... that's not possible. Shepard destroyed them!"

"Focus, Joker!" Liara said, "We have to get out of here. Finn, can we stream out of here?"

"Probably," Finn conceded, but what about the Centurion Hawk?"

When Liara didn't respond, Jake pressed his paws against Finn's arms. "Dude, Alea's on there! Greg too!"

"What?! Can't they dock with us or something?'

"No time." Liara said. "And there's not enough room for their ship in the Normandy's hangar."

"I'm not leaving my sister!" Finn said.

"We may not have a choice!" Liara snapped. "If we don't get out of here with the information your team has gathered, there's no telling how many other worlds will be destroyed!"

Finn struggled to find a solution; fortunately, the mention of Greg brought something to mind ... something to dangerous.

"Can you patch us into the Centurion Hawk's controls?" Finn said, looking back at Liara. "Give me control of their engines and their shields?"

"Possibly. Why?"

Jake, however, knew exactly what Finn was thinking. "Hell yeah, Finn! We'll cross the streams!"

Joker gave Finn a confused look. "Streams? Streaming? What are you all talking about!"

"Not now." Liara said. "Finn?"

"If we combine the mass effect fields of both ships, I can stream both of us at the same time." He said.

"Is ... is that possible?"

Finn winced. "Theoretically."

Liara's optimism visibly diminished. "Finn?"

When Finn didn't answer, Jake said, "He's, uh, never actually successfully pulled off a stream merge. The last time he tried ... well, you could say it's how he ended up at J-27."

"Oh."

Jake's enthusiasm came back in full force. "But it could work! Rico got scared at the last second, he said as much! Look, I know Finn can pull it off!"

Liara was visibly torn. "So save everyone with a risky maneuver you've never tried before, or escape but lose two valuable prisoners."

"He can do it!" Jake insisted. "Finn's the man!"

After a few more moments of hesitation, Liara let out a sigh. "Patching us into the Centurion Hawk, rerouting control to your console."

Finn glanced at Joker. "Look, I know she's your ship, but if you've never streamed before ..."

Joker lifted his hands. "Hey, Liara trusts you, I trust you. Just ... tell me the truth; can you really get us out of here?"

"Yes." Finn said with far more conviction than he truly felt.

After meeting Finn's gaze for a long moment, Joker nodded and said, "All right. Transferring control over to you. Good luck, man ... and try not to blow us up, okay?"

The first phase was easy; Finn moved the Centurion Hawk directly beneath the Normandy. The bigger the mass effect field, the harder it was to maintain, so he needed them as close as possible to minimize the size of the field. The next was finding a speed both ships could achieve; fortunately, cargo runners typically carried a fair amount of speed, so both ships were still making some forward momentum despite the increasing pull of the horror behind them.

Bright light shone from the console displaying Noveria and the Sun Cruncher; Finn risked a glance and saw hundreds of energy tearing through the planet, each originating from a single finger. It took them longer to cut through the entirety of the planet than it took for Omega, likely due to the planet's density.

"Finn!" Liara said, panic in her voice."

"Right." Finn said, quickly double-checking everything. "Everyone hold on!"

The ship rocked forward, only to rock back immediately, Joker and Finn were rocked forward in their seats, The string on Joker's USB drive catching on the corner of a console and snapping as he rocked back in his chair. He made a grab for the drive, a panicked look in his face, but it hit the deck and slid across the metal plating.

"I got it!" Jake pounced on it moments before it would've fallen into a vent. Unfortunately, another massive shudder from the ship sent him tumbling into the side of the cockpit."

"Jake!" Finn said, his attention going to his brother.

Jake stumbled to his feet unsteadily, as though disoriented from the tumble. He turned his face plate to Finn for a moment, his normal doglike face glitching."

"Jake? Jake, say something?"

Jake shook his head, the glitching stopping abruptly. "Finn? What .. what happened?"

"Just a little turbulence is all." Relieved, Finn turned his attention to his controls. "Sorry; everyone; the gravitational pull of the Sun Cruncher threw me off. I got it this time."

Finn concentrated his vision on the stars ahead, his hands already manipulating the mass effect field into place. The engines flared, pushing the ship into FTL ... and yet, they were only moving at a snail's pace at that point.

"Was something supposed to happen?" Joker asked as another shudder ran through the ship.

"Finn," Liara said, her voice gentle, "If you can't get both ships-"

"I can!" He said, his fingers moving twice as fast. "Just ... just give me a second!"

After watching Finn for a moment, Joker turned to his own controls. "Gravitational fields are blowing us around like a leaf on the wind; If you're doing something with the mass effect fields, you'll need to compensate."

"I'm trying!" Finn said through gritted teeth. He was so close; if he could concentrate for a few seconds, he was sure he could get them outta there.

"Can you help him compensate?" Liara asked.

Joker nodded. Together with Finn, they managed to stabilize the ship ... for a few moments. Moments before Finn tried to stream, another shudder took away his concentration.

"Steady!" Finn said.

"I'm trying!" Joker said. "I'm not EDI!"

Finn felt a metal paw touch his leg. "Finn," He said, his voice low. "You can get us out of this, right?"

"Don't worry." Finn said, preparing for another attempt. "We're getting out of here. We've been through worse before, right, bro?"

"Finn." Jake said, his voice strangely serious.

Sighing, Finn said, "If we can compensate for the gravitational flux, I think I can do it; it's just ... too variable. We're gonna have to get lucky."

After a few moments of silence, Jake said, "Or get help."

"Jake?"

"N-nuthin. Just ... just thinkin' out loud."

Finn snapped his fingers. "Maybe there's something you can do to help; get to engineering, Jake! If you and Kyra can find a way to squeeze a little more power out of the engines, I might be able to broaden our shields and smooth the ride long enough to stream."

"Right!" Jake said, his voice once again filled with his usual boundless enthusiasm. "Yeah, I'm on it!"

"What the hell is going on up there?" Kyra said, glancing upward as though she could see through the decks to where Finn and Joker were desperately trying to escape the pull of the Sun Cruncher. "We can't be streaming."

"Yeah, well, we're not.' said Finn's old cadet mate, Katt, her eyes on a screen displaying the Sun Cruncher. It already had torn a quarter of the planet into rocky debris, despite a meager attempt from the planetary defenses to stop the assault.

Rico peered over her shoulder. "Must be the pull from that thing; Noveria's already out of orbit."

"Ironic, really." Katt said. "The planet's already pretty much floating rubble now that it's been yanked from orbit. Now the Illusive Man's just showing off."

Shaking her head, Glenda hopped over the railing and climbed beneath the console.

"What are you doing?" Kyra asked.

"I'm gonna try and boost the power; Headache's energy cells hold a lot of punch. Not sure how that'll stack up to the Normandy, but hey; never enough power."

"Can't you ... do something?"

"Like what?' Glen asked, giving her an incredulous look. "Get out and push?"

Jake ran into the room, skidding to a halt just a few feet from Kyra. "Gravitational fields are screwing with Finn's concentration; we can't get outta here without compensating." He said.

"Aha!" Glen said, a triumphant smile on her face as she vanished beneath the deck plating. "Like I said, more power."

"Focus, Glen." Kyra said. Frowning, she said, "Hang on; I might be able to rig up something; I'm heading to the AI core room."

"It's no use." Glen called back. "Without EDI, it's just old hardware."

"Maybe, but maybe with Mirabelle's help I can get a rudimentary AI up and running, enough to keep us stable enough for him to stream. Mira?"

"I'll meet you there." Mirabelle's voice said from Kyra's console.

"You're gonna build an AI in a few minutes?" Glen said, poking her hear over the side of the deck plating. "I know you're quarian, but come on."

"I've gotta do something!" She brushed past Katt and Rico. "Everyone else, just ... keep the engines going and try and hold us together!"

"You got it!" Katt smacked Rico on the arm and said, "You heard her; get to work!"

Jake hurried alongside Kyra as she hurried to the lift.

"Crew Deck." Kyra said, wringing her hands nervously after another shudder ran through the ship. She paced in the narrow elevator, Jake watching her with an anxious look on his face.

"We've come this close." Kyra said, hands clenching and unclenching.

"We'll get outta here." Jake told her, a somber look on his face. "One way or the other."

"I hope you're right.' Kyra stepped out of the lift doors the moment after they opened, Jake again following her closely. A few people were moving through the deck, most heading toward the lift or battening down the figurative hatches, as it were, to pay attention to the quarian lady and her robot dog.

"Okay." Kyra said as the doors to the AI core opened. "We'll need a way to regulate the gravitational flux, while compensating for the increasing pull from the station. Jake, can you get that panel open and-"

She stopped when she realized that Jake was standing in the doorway, staring at the figure lying on the shelf in the back of the room.

Kyra knew little of EDI, other than that she'd been the governing AI of the Normandy, rendered non-functional by the activation of the Crucible along with every other synthetic in known space. While the body was just a shell, Liara left her in the Normandy out of respect.

Kyra glanced at the android. "Sorry; her AI was destroyed by the Crucible; we'll have to do it from scratch ... unless you or Mirabelle have experience with this kinda thing."

"It has been awhile." Mirabelle admitted. "But there is little point in being pessimistic now."

Kyra and Mirabelle worked together as well as they could despite the continued distraction of the force pulling the ship. They weren't going for style; the AI they crudely constructed was little more than a slightly more intuitive VI. Even then, however, there were so many variables to program, so many lines of coding that had to be input perfectly.

Kyra's omni-tool lit up. "Kyra, it's Glen; the power cells were a no go. We got a brief burst, but they just burned out. How's it coming on your end?"

"Not well." Kyra said. "Just ... do whatever you can, okay?"

"Kyra." Jake asked, speaking for the first time since they entered the AI core. "could you do me a favor?"

"Is it important? I'm kinda in a rush here, Jake."

"Maybe." Jake said. "It's this flash drive thingy."

Jake held out his paw, the drive still clutched in it. "There should be a compatible port for it in my rear compartment; it's a long-shot, but when i scanned it a minute ago, I think i saw something we might be able to use."

There was a strange reluctance in Jake's tone, but Kyra wasn't about to turn down any possibility that might get them out of there. She took the drive and looked in Jake's rear compartment. Sure enough, there was a compatible port.

"All right." Kyra said, sliding the storage device into place. "It might take a minute to-"

Jake's monitor glitched again. He staggered as though he had no idea how to use his legs, ultimately falling on the floor.

"Jake!" Kyra said, kneeling beside him. "Jake, can you hear me?"

He continued to roll around, limbs flailing as his monitor flashed pixelated garbage. His voice synthesizer began to stutter as well, letting out a mishmash of syllables that made no sense.

She started to reach for the flash drive, only for Jake to say, "No! Don't ... don't take it out. I'm ... I'm fine."

Kyra frowned at Jake as he rose unsteadily to his feet. She didn't know what to make of what just happened. Putting a hand on Jake's shoulder, she asked, "Are you okay?"

He gave her a slight nod, still shaking. "I ... I think so."

"Good." She said, rubbing the side of his display. "Now come on! We're not going down without a fight!"

Jake didn't respond, other than to turn to the body of EDI.

"Kyra." He said, his voice strangely quiet as he approached the dormant artificial body and rested his feet against its arm. "You'll take care of Finn, right?"

"Jake, what are you-"

"You'll take care of him, right? He's still a bit of a crybaby at heart, but ... but you love him, so you'll stay with him, right? Keep him safe, even if it's just from himself?"

"Of course." Kyra said, a slow feeling of nameless fear spreading over her. "Jake, what are you-"

The lights of the bridge controls suddenly went bright. Moments later, the shuddering running through the ship went completely still.

"What the-" Joker said, staring at his controls.

Finn didn't stop to question it; already, he thought he could see the tips of the Sun Cruncher closing in on him.

"Here we go!" He shouted as his eyes rapidly staring beyond his console on the star-filled space beyond as. It happened so naturally this time, so easily that it almost shocked him right back out of streaming. After so much struggling, it was almost like the stream sought him out and pulled him into it, ships and all.

Yes, ships; he could feel them both, the Normandy and the Centurion Hawk protected under his watchful eye as they sped away from Noveria, away from the Pax System and the Horsehead Nebula, away from the dark presence of the Sun Cruncher.

That's when he felt it; the pull of the stream, not just on the ships, but on him. It hung in the air just out of his reach, filling with a desire to reach out and take it. There was something primal, something innate not to him, but to the very universe itself calling him. His hands trembled as his mind started to reach back.

"Finn!" Joker's shout cut through his euphoria. "C'mon, man, snap out of it!"

Finn tried to regain control, but for the first time, the stream seemed to be fighting back. It didn't want to let go of him; fear filled his heart as he felt a presence there, hidden within the stream.

Slowly, reluctantly, the presence in the stream released its hold of Finn. His whole body shuddering, Finn pulled himself back into the cockpit and reversed the engines. The ship fell back into FTL for a few moments before finally slowing to conventional speeds.

When he finally dared to look away from his console, he found Joker staring at him with an expression of shock and awe.

"That," He said, "was awesome!"

"Thank the goddess." Liara said, her hand on Finn's chair. "You did it, Finn."

Finn managed a weak smile. "We did it. I just streamed us outta there; the real thanks goes to whoever steadied us at that last second. Where did we end up, anyway?"

Joker glanced at his controls. "Let's see; just short of the Exodus Cluster. About three days of flying at normal speeds."

"Fair enough." Finn undid his harness and rose from the chair, his legs still feeling a little numb.

"Whoa," Joker said, "Where are you going."

Finn glanced at the copilot's seat and shrugged. "You said it yourself; she's your baby. I'm gonna go check in with the others, in case they need help repairing any damage I might've caused."

Liara walked beside Finn as he headed for the lift.

"Once again," She said, "You've over delivered. By the goddess, i still can't believe it."

"The Sun Cruncher?" Finn said, grinning at Jake's apt name for the Cerberus vessel. "Me either. You saw the inside of that thing, right?"

"Yes." Liara said. "Reaper technology ... and yet different. Our scans caught over a hundred individual ships within the sphere."

"That explains what he was building in all the facilities around the galaxy." Finn said. "He build them individually before assembling his little abomination."

"I think you're right." Liara said. "Their readings didn't match those taken of ships from the Reaper War. The Illusive Man must've used the baseline design to-"

"Finn? Finn, it's Kyra. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Kyra." Finn said, "I trust I have you and Jake to thank for smoothing out our ride?"

A few moments of thick silence followed before Kyra said, "We're in the AI core. You ... you need to get here."

Finn saw the worry he felt reflected in Liara's face. They quickly rose the lift down to the crew quarters and hurried to the AI core. The door opened to reveal Kyra on her knees beside the body of Jake.

Finn felt his heart drop. He rushed over to Kyra, already pulling a small box of tools he carried specifically for Jake's upkeep.

"What happened?" He said, already working part of the monitor casing off. "Did he hit a live wire or something?'

"Finn ..."

"I heard him complaining about his power regulators the other day." Finn said, ignoring the helplessness in her tone. "We might be able to rig up-"

"Finn.' It wasn't Kyra who spoke, but the android lying on the slap in the back of the AI core, the voice the same as that which broke Finn out of his streaming reverie.

Liara gasped as the android slowly sat up, deliberately testing every joint before trusting it to bear weight.

"EDI." Liara whispered before hurrying forward and giving the android a hug. EDI returned the hug briefly before turning her gaze to Finn.

"I'm sorry, Finn." EDI said, an expression of genuine sadness on her face. "Jake's gone."


	25. Chapter 25 - Saying Goodbye

**Chapter 25**

 **Saying Goodbye**

Finn frowned, eyes narrowing at EDI. "Gone? What do you mean gone? He's just off-line, that's all. I just need to ..."

"Check his hard drive." EDI said.

Still suspicious of her, he activated his omni-tool and scanned Jake's hard drive. He expected to find it suspended, perhaps in hibernation or simply inert while his hardware was off-line like every other time he'd had a critical operation issue. What he found stunned him to the core; there was nothing. No programming, no AI; it was as though all of Jake's software had been pulled out leaving nothing but a blank KEI-9 robot.

"I ... I don't understand." Finn said, his mind already scrambling to explain the missing program. "Where is he? Who are you?"

"She's EDI." Liara said. "The AI of the Normandy ... but how is this possible? Your blue box computer was wiped by the Crucible."

"Not wiped." EDI corrected. "Purposefully fragmented. Most of the raw operational data remained here, as the Normandy's storage was necessary to properly store it all. I entrusted my most cherished memories to Joker, compressing them into the drive he normally used for storing his 'tunes'. The rest of the memories I put here, in my old shell."

EDI knelt beside Jake and rested a hand on his side. "Jake, however, held the most important part of me; my personality. A Simulated blue-box quantum computer identical to my own placed within the VI constraints of Shepard's KEI-9 unit. He had my curiosity about the world, a desire to protect those closest to him."

A smile crossed her lips. "A certain proclivity for bad jokes, perhaps. Even if my original blue box were destroyed, in Jake I left the blueprint to bringing me back ... and so he did."

Finn could only stare down at Jake's body. It seemed so surreal; they'd spoken just a few minutes ago. Everything was fine. How could everything be so wrong?

Finn picked up Jake and started toward the door. "Look, I'm glad you're back and everything, but I'm not giving up on Jake that easily. He's my brother; brothers don't just abandon each other."

"Finn," Kyra said, gently putting her hands on his shoulders, "Even if we copied Jake's memories back into his body, we don't have a backup of his baseline personality. It'd be a completely new personality with his memories, nothing more."

"There has to be a way." Finn said stubbornly. "There just has to."

When none of them responded, he snorted and carried Jake out of the room. "Fine. I'll fix him myself."

Finn carried Jake to the hangar and set him on a workbench in the far corner. He went over every system, checked every inch of data storage in Jake's body for compressed files, hidden backups, anything that might give Jake a chance to return. Even an older copy would've sufficed; Jake from a year ago or two years ago or five; any Jake that remembered Finn would've been fine.

He ran through conversations in his mind he'd have with old Jake, telling him about all the trouble they got up to. He could almost hear Jake laughing at the idea of them getting pulled into the whole mess with Cerberus.

"We're just repairmen!" Jake would say. "We fix things; we don't go gallivanting around with the Shadow Broker or hunting ancient treasures."

Hours passed as Finn made another pass through the system and then another. The hangar was empty, save for the Gradisian and Aria's ship; a few of Finn' shipmates stopped by; Sherle, Mannon, Eri and Xyn, even Tuck and Hylia. Finn didn't spare them a second glance when it became clear they weren't there to help, but to offer condolences. It made him angry how easily they just accepted his was gone; it was like they were giving up on him.

Eventually, the gentle hand of a three-fingered hand made him pause. "Finn."

"I can't talk now." Finn said, rubbing his eyes.

The hand slipped around his chest, the warmth of Kyra's body pressing against him.

"I'm sorry." She said, resting her head on his back. "I've been talking with EDI for hours, hoping that there might be some way, but ... I'm sorry."

He slowly lowered his tool, his head hanging down. For the first time since finding Jake's body, true hopelessness stole through him. Kyra was the smartest person he knew. She'd tried her best, and still came up with nothing; what hope did he have? They sat there in silence for a long time, neither saying anything.

"He tried to tell me something was wrong." Finn said. "His dreams, the feeling he knew Liara and Javik ..."

"I don't think he really knew for sure until the end." Kyra said. "And he still sacrificed himself to save us."

Finn touched her hand, its warmth soothing him. "Jake the hero. You know he'd never let us forget it."

"I won't. I know you won't either, nor will any of our friends."

After another long silence, Kyra rubbed his cheek and said, "You've been through a lot, sweetie; you should get some rest. Or maybe you're hungry?"

"I'm fine." Finn said, his hand resting on hers. "I'll get some rest after I check Jake one more time, okay?"

She bit her lip, but nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Okay. I'll see you when you wake up, okay sweetie?"

Finn nodded in reply, his eyes already moving back to Jake. He did one more pass, and then another ... and another. Every tiny vestige of data he uncovered stored in the hardware filled him with hope only to let him down. He kept checking everything until his head grew heavy and slowly fell until it rested against Jake's side.

A sudden clank followed by a loud swear woke him from his slumber. Finn peered blearily around the hangar bay for a moment before spotting Glen next to a fallen crate.

Finn rose from his seat. With a final pat on Jake's inert monitor, he approached Glen, his footsteps masked by the sounds of Glen trying to put the crate back in place. She was carrying her pack, the doorknob of her that strange door of hers hanging from her belt.

"Going somewhere?" He asked, his voice quiet.

Glen jumped and whirled around, a hand on her chest. "Son of a ... don't scare me like that Finn!"

When Finn didn't respond, Glen let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm heading off for a bit. I know this ain't a good time, but after what happened to Xyn and those core units near the secondary data core ... Jesus, Finn, you saw what happened; something took out about twenty advanced androids under the Illusive Man's direct control with this."

Glen held out a knife. Finn took it and looked it over.

"It's a kitchen knife." He said before testing the blade. "The edge is dull."

"Exactly.' Glen said, taking the knife back. "Something's been trying to get my attention, and it's getting more desperate. I think I know where whatever it is wants me to go, so I'm gonna head that way before it stops focusing on hostiles and starts targeting my friends. It's bad enough I've lost one today."

"What about Xyn? She's still wearing your colander."

"I know." Glen sighed and said, "Tell Hylia she can take it for the Warehouse once I'm gone; I don't wanna risk whatever's trying to mess with me taking full hold of her. With as much strength as whoever it is must have to bypass the colander, she'd be lucky if she just ended up lobotomized."

After a long pause, Glen said, "Look, I'm sorry about Jake. I mean, no one's happier to see she survived … well, other than Joker, I guess, but I'm still gonna miss the little guy."

"Then you're giving up too, huh?" Finn said, hopelessness now threatening to overwhelm him.

That was, until Glen gave him an odd look and said, "Giving up? Oh, hell no. This is Jake we're talking about. Stringing together the impossible is my friggin day job!"

"Then ... you can bring him back?"

"I ... well, I don't know.' Glen admitted, "But I'm gonna give it my best. I've already got a copy of Jake's data and memory files from EDI, and the baseline personality matrix of the simulated blue box she programmed into him; it won't work as is, of course; with no way to associate and interpret the data and memories, the personality's just barebones; Jake as he was before the personality fully formed a viable AI. Still, it's a start, and I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve."

Hope rising in his chest, Finn said, "You think there's a chance, then?"

"Of course! Even if I can't do it, I've got contacts all over the place. Hell, I've got a buddy at the place I'm fixing to head to who has a lot of robot-related experience. I ain't giving up on Jake until I've exhausted every last option ... and let me tell ya, I've got a fair few." Glen gave Finn a friendly patt on the soldier before sighing and pulling him into a sisterly hug. "We'll get him back somehow, Finn, I promise. Might take years, but that'll make it all the more sweet when we succeed."

Pulling away, Glen said, "First things first, though; for me to have the best chance here, I'm gonna need to borrow Jake for awhile. There are things I just can't do without his body; personality resonance scans, residual AI traces imprinted in hardware, not to mention if I figure it all out, I'd like to have him up and running before I get back."

Finn wanted to be hopeful; it certainly was easy when Glen was so optimistic about it. Still, he had seen Glen oversell the odds before.

"Glen." Finn said, his tone completely serious. "No bull shit; what are the chances that you can bring him back? Please ... please be honest about this. I need to know."

Glen's smile faded. Sighing, she said, "Hard to say, honestly. I've got ideas, but a lot of it is just theory and speculation. Still, it's not like we've got anything to lose by trying, right?"

Finn considered Glen's words for a few moments before slowly nodded. "You're right. What's the first step?"

"The first step is for me to amscray." Glen said, following Finn to where Jake lay. "The sooner I get away from here, the safer all of you will be, relatively speaking of course."

Finn folded Jake's legs against his torso before handing him to Glen, who took the KEI-9 unit solemnly.

"In the meantime," Glen said, "Try not to let it get you down. You've got friends here, not to mention Kyra; Jake's their friend too, and they'll need you to put on a brave face."

"I'll ... I'll try."

"That's all I ask." With Jake in tow, Glen walked toward Aria's ship. As she did, however, a piece of paper fell out of her pocket and hit the floor. From the flash of colors, Glen realized it was the same drawing Glen found tied around the handle of the dull kitchen knife. Finn bent down to pick it up, saying, "Hang on; you dropped something."

It was a picture drawn either by a child or by one with a child's mentality. Done entirely in several shades of crayon, it depicted several people in a typical family scene, only two of them were skeletons and one appeared to be a goat woman. Two others stood beside the taller skeleton, a blue-skinned woman with shark-like teeth and what appeared to be a bespectacled dinosaur in a labcoat. Beneath the green and brown lines supposedly indicating grass and dirt was another image, this one of a yellow flower with a sad face, a trail of tears falling down its petals as it stood surrounded by swirls of black crayon.

"Oh! Thanks." Glen said, taking the picture. "Gonna need that. The only concrete clue I've really got." Cramming it into her pocket, she sighed and gave Finn what could only loosely be called a salute. "Well, take it easy, Finn. And don't worry; I'll take care of business and be back in no time."

Glen turned back to the ship and disappeared up the ramp. Finn waited for a long time for the ship to take off, only for it to remain perfectly still. Curious, he walked to the back ramp and into the ship. A quick look around found nothing, though he couldn't help but note one oddity as he left the ship.

Looking back, he realized the doorway at the top of the ramp had no actual door; there was a place for a door, with a heavy metal frame and an airlock seal, yet the door itself was strangely gone.


	26. Chapter 26 - Dealing with it

**Chapter 26**

 **Dealing with it**

After a few hours of restless dreams and half-remembered nightmares, Finn woke up to find Kyra staring at him through the glass of the sleep pod. With a sigh, he pressed the release.

"Sorry to wake you, but-"

"It's fine." He told her, rubbing his eyes. "I wasn't getting much rest anyway. What's up?"

"Liara's calling a meeting. She said you don't have to come if you don't want to, though ... y'know, if you want to keep trying with Jake."

"Jake's with Glenda." Finn told her. "She's going to try a few things on her own."

Kyra brightened at this news. "You think she'll bring Jake back?"

"I don't know." Finn confessed as he slipped on his jacket. "But I tried everything I could think of. With it being Glen ... well, it's a shot, right?"

"But no one's seen Glen." Kyra said, linking her arm in his as they walked away from the sleeping area. "Not since yesterday."

"Yeah, she left in a hurry. She's worried that something was following her, and wanted to get away before it turned on us."

"Something ... Cerberus?"

Finn shook his head. "I don't think so. She seemed pretty sure whatever it was would follow her."

Kyra frowned at this, but said nothing. They walked in silence to the elevator. Once the lift activated, Kyra kissed Finn on the cheek and asked, "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Not really." He said, "But I'll manage. Cerbeus's new toy's a bit more critical at the moment."

"Not to you." Kyra said, rubbing his shoulder.

He squeezed her hand, giving her as reassuring a smile as he could manage as the lift doors opened.

They walked through the Normandy to the conferece room, where Finn was surprised to find he and Kyra weren't the last to arrive. Xyn was gone, as were Tuck and Hylia. Tuck's absense was understandable, however; he was the ship's cook, after all. In their place, however, was a still angry-looking Aria.

Liara stood at the foot of the table, a look of surprise on her face. "Good morning, Finn. I'm glad you could make it."

"Jake's in Glenda's hands now." He said, taking a seat between Kyra and Hylia. "Until then, I'm acting under the assumption that they're both just taking a little break. Where's Xyn?"

"Sleeping in." Eri said, sounding a little groggy himself. Sherle held her cup of coffee at him, earning a scowl from the turian who couldn't drink it.

Aria let out a snort. "Whatever. Can we get going already?"

"Yes, of course." Liara cleared her throat, and said, "Given the recent events, I thought it wise for us to have a meeting to discuss the OmniReaper ..."

"Sun-Cruncher. I mean, that's what Jake ..." Finn blushed and bowed his head to avoid seeing the stares the others present were now giving him. "Sorry. I guess it doesn't really matter."

"No," Liara said as Kyra put her hand over Finn's, "That's fine. It's not like we have a proper name for it anyway. Thanks to the efforts of you and your team, we've managed to piece together a very in-depth map of the, uh, Sun-Cruncher. Mirabelle?"

The walls of the room faded to the black star-filled expanse of space, an image of the Sun-Cruncher in the center of the room. It was all holograms, of course, as was the image of the young woman who appeared in one of the empty chairs.

"The Sun-Cruncher is impervious to outer assault." Liara said, "The hole through which Finn escaped required the detonation of almost a hundred mass effect drives."

"Even then, it was a tight fit." Finn said, leaning forward. "And that was from the inside."

"Correct; the outside is protected both by extremely thick armor plating, force fields, kinetic barriers, and missile interception systems. That's in addition to the fleet of ships the Sun-Cruncher is capable of launching."

"Tough nut to crack." Eri said.

Liara nodded. "Indeed. unfortunately, it only gets worse."

The Sun-Cruncher opened, revealing what looked like thousands of teeth lining the inside of the sphere. The image zoomed in, showing the teeth to be what Finn was already more than aware of; the 'teeth' were in fact Reapers.

"Preliminary analysis shows that they are not, in fact, Reapers." Liara said.

"What?" About half the table said, Finn and Kyra included.

Liara nodded, and gestured to the Sun-Cruncher as it grew larger. The computer extracted a single unit from the writhing mass, bringing up the image of a similar ship for comparison. Side-to-side, there was no question that they weren't the same; the real Reaper was a black, menacing thing with curved plating, whereas the Reapers of the Sun-Cruncher had straight segmented plating.

"You can see the difference." Liara said. "The materials of the Sun-Cruncher's 'Reapers' are conventional; we managed to get a partial scan from Noveria before it was, er, crunched, and nothing we detected is unusual. What's more, the power yield in the artificial Reapers is augmented, both in terms of attack and drawing energy from stars."

"Augmented?" Eri said, "You mean they're stronger than the original?"

"The Reapers never bothered upgrading their weapons." Aria said, lounging in her chair. "No need; they were big, they were bad, and nothin' we had came close."

"That was four-hundred years ago." Rico said grimly, trading looks with his wife. "Obviously, the Illusive Man's taken the opportunity to upgrade."

"But we know the Illusive Man's intelligence is in a real Reaper." Finn said. "Billy gave us proof."

"That's right; there's one real Reaper." Liara said, nodding. "Perhaps it's one in the mass; like I said, we only got a partial reading."

"I dunno." Kyra said, leaning forward. "This is the Illusive Man we're talking about. He's probably got it tucked away somewhere else in the base."

"Somewhere heavily shielded." Eri said, his voice dour.

"So how do we blow the bastard up?" Aria asked.

When there was no immediate response, she clapped her hands sharply and said, "Come on! You'r the Shadow Broker, Liara, you have to have some plan."

When she didn't respond, Aria turned her eyes to Finn. "What about you, Finn? You're a trouble-maker. Any ideas how to make the big bad Illusive Man go boom?"

Finn frowned. "What about the opening from the explosion? Could we use that to get back inside?"

"Sorry." Mirabelle said. "The Illusive Man has control of my skrievers; they'll have that mess patched up in a matter of hours."

"Which is less time than it'd take to get a proper demolition squad together." Liara said, shaking her head. "Even if we had the team, he's got an army in there; it's silly to think he wouldn't be watching that hole like a hawk."

After a few moments of silence, Katt snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Look, this thing feeds off of suns, right? What if we make a star go supernova while it's still wrapped around it?"

"Make a star go Supernova?" Eri asked. "How the hell do you plan to manage that?"

"Well, I've got a friend who works with Alliance Research and Development; she told me once about something called a Nova bomb. It screws with the gravity holding a star together, causing it to go into supernova, blowing up the whole system."

Even Aria seemed a little alarmed at the thought. "The Alliance is making this?"

"Er, no; the project's more about possible defenses against it. The bomb itself was an accidental byproduct of a failed terraforming project called 'Genesis' or something. Still, I'm sure if I explain the need, she can get us the specifications."

"Which still creates the problem of figuring out just where the Sun-Cruncher's heading for power." Eri said, only for Kyra to add, "Not to mention getting there first to plant the bomb."

"Or how we'd plant a bomb on a star in the first place." Liara agreed.

The room was silent for a few moments before Finn said, "Illium, Trident, and Neukara."

"Excuse me?" Liara asked.

"The Illusive Man mentioned them as possible targets for 'demonstrations'."

"So he might need to take power from a nearby star." Kyra said, nodding. "Which at least gives us a ball-park idea of where he might go."

"But if he can just crunch a star, why bother with the planet?" Rico asked, shaking his head. "I mean, you take away Trident's star, it's just an iceball, right?"

Finn shook his head. "Because he's not trying to destroy; he's trying to intimidate. He wants to show the galaxy what happens to those he views as corrupt. Taking apart a planet piece by piece, letting snippets of video feeds and transmissions escape ..."

"I think we get the idea." Liara said, looking a little sick. "We're still talking about destroying an entire system to take out the Illusive Man."

"So?" Aria said, rising to her feet. "Omega and Noveria are gone, T'soni. Even if you think my people were just a bunch of thugs and Noveria was just a bunch of corporate fatcats skirting the law, that thing's next meal is gonna be a world of civilians, according to Finn: Neukara, Trident, or Ilium. If you don't stop the Sun-Cruncher, one of them is gonna get carved up like a turkey."

Liara rubbed her eyes. Finn didn't envy her decision. As much as he hated to say it, he did have one other idea.

"There might be another way." Finn said. "If it's gonna be one of those three worlds, we could ..."

"Yes?" Liara asked.

Blushing, Finn said, "Aria, the attack on Omega; it was both the Reaper beams and ships, right?"

"Right." Aria said in the voice of someone suspecting they're being asked a trick question.

"So they must launch ships from the inner bays once the planet's surrounded." Finn sighed and said, "Which means we might be able to sneak a demolition crew inside."

"Maybe," Liara said, "But a demolition squad wouldn't be able to destroy the ship before the planet ..."

Her voice faded as she no doubt noticed the look on Finn's face. "Oh."

"It's not a perfect option." He admitted. "But with only three planets, the chances are much better than trying to guess which Star the Sun-Cruncher might go to next."

"Hey, it's something." Aria said, nodding at Finn in approval. "If a world's gonna fall, we make sure it's the last."

"Now hold on!" Kyra said before turning to Finn. "There's got to be an option that doesn't involve sacrificing a whole planet."

"I'd love to hear it." Finn said.

Kyra opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Liara sighed and said, "If nothing else, it's a good contingency plan. I'll see about sending teams with cloak-capable ships to those worlds. Until then, however, I ask that you all keep thinking of possible plans. I'm sure I don't have to stress that our goal is to stop the Illusive Man before he takes another world. Dismissed."

Kyra gave Finn a look that made him hesitate before following the others out of the room.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm just surprised, that's all." She said, a slight frown on her face. "I didn't think you'd make a suggestion like that."

Sighing, Finn said, "Believe me, I'm no happier to make it. Still, having a backup plan in case of the worst is important."

"I know, but ..." Kyra sighed as well and sat down, Finn sitting down again as well. "After that mess with my sisters and the League of One, you found a way for everyone to get what they wanted: my sisters, the krogan, the Saints, even old general Mkrobi. All your plans are like that; I mean, they don't always work, but you always manage to twist it around so that everything works out for the best. I know life doesn't always work like that, but ..." She sighed again. "I dunno. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Tell you what; meet me up in the kitchen in two hours; we'll have Tuck whip up something for dinner and put our heads together to see if we can't think of something better."

He pressed his forehead to her, drawing a laugh from the woman he loved. "Okay. I'll see you then, sweetie."

She leaned the rest of the way forward and kissed him before rising from her chair and leaving the room. Finn moved to follow her, only to bump into Sherle.

"Whoa!" He said, catching her shoulders. "Easy there!'

"Oh! Sorry, Finn." She blushed and said, "I came to grab Eri."

"Eri?" Finn turned to see Eri was indeed still there; the turian let out a soft snore, his head resting on the table.

Chuckling, Finn leaned toward his friend's head and said, "ERI!"

Much to his disappointment, Eri stirred only slightly, slowly raising his head and fixing Finn with a bleary eye.

"Eri," Finn asked, concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? I'm fine." He started to droop back to the table, but Mannon caught him first.

"Come on!" She said as Finn helped the turian to his feet. "Seriously, Eri, if you were this tired, maybe you should've gotten more sleep last night."

"I did." Eri said with a yawn. "Slept perfectly."

"Not enough, apparently." Sherle said, reproach in her voice.

"It's all right." Finn said, "We've all been through a lot. Let's just get him back to bed."

They dragged the turian to the elevator and

"She's right, you know." said a voice Finn knew couldn't be there. "It ain't like you to just go for that kinda compromise."

Finn looked at Sherle, who returned his gaze with a curious look. It was clear from Sherle's expression that she hadn't heard Jake's voice.

"I mean, really? Your just gonna wait for one of the planets to get boned before doin' something, man? That's weak, and you know it."

Finn sighed and tried to ignore the sensation of a familiar metal leg brushing against his. "C'mon, man; think; we can do better than that."

"Yes, we could have." Finn said softly.

"What?" Sherle asked.

Finn shook his head. "It's nothing."

They rode up to the deck where Xyn was staying. Liara was kind enough to loan her quarters to the Neukaran. She even had a special bed of neukaran dirt on board just so Xyn could get her proper rest.

Xyn was, in fact, still asleep when they entered the room.

Sherle snorted. "Wish I could sleep all day."

"Now now." Finn chided as they carried Eri to the room's standard bed. "That's no way to talk about your wife."

"Oh, shut up." Sherle said, her cheeks red.

They lay Eri on the bed. The turian was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"There." Sherle said, rubbing her shoulder. "Just looking at them makes me tired."

Glancing at Finn, Sherle said, "You think I should wake Xyn up?"

"Nah. I don't think I have the heart to tell her that her home planet's on Cerberus's chopping block."

"Yeah, you're right." She knelt beside Xyn and looked at her sleeping face for a moment before leaning forward and giving the neukaran a kiss on the cheek, only to frown a moment later.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked as Sherle felt Xyn's forehead.

"She's burning up." Mannon gently shook Xyn's shoulder. "Xyn? Xyn, wake up; it's Sherle."

Xyn didn't respond. She was breathing steadily, but her eyelids didn's so much as flicker.

Sherle looked to Finn, fear in her eyes. Nodding, Finn activated the comm by the door and said, "Requesting medical assistance to the captain's quarters."

"Oww!" Sherle pulled her hand back suddenly. "It burned me!"

"What?"

"The colander! It burned me!"

Finn paused for a moment before activating the comm again. "Hylia, please come to the captain's quarters asap."


	27. Epilogue: Slow Burn

**Epilogue**

 **Slow Burn**

Hylia watched as Doctor Myrena T'soni attended to Xyn's still-sleeping form. Finn didn't know much about Myreni, other than she was one of Liara and Javik's daughters. She looked much like her mother, right down to the pattern of freckle-like markings on her cheeks, albeit much younger.

"She's stable." Myreni said, "As for why she's asleep, I can only tell you what its not; it's not drugs, it's not a coma. She's definitely dreaming, but I can't seem to break her out of it."

Hylia nodded to Finn. Nodding back, Finn said, "Thanks, Doc; I'll make sure we keep someone here with her in case something changes."

"Thank you." Myrena said as Finn and Sherle helped her up and surreptiously guided her to the door. "I'll stop by later to check up on her. If her condition changes at all-"

"We'll call you straight away." Sherle assured her.

With a final nod, Myrena left the room. Once the doors were shut, Hylia rushed over to Hylia and knelt by her side, already pulling on a pair of purple gloves.

"What are you doing?" Sherle asked, sounding more than a bit nervous.

"I'd like to remove the colander, if that's okay." Hylia said, pulling a silver-lined collection bag from her side-pack.

"But Glenda said-"

"It's okay." Finn said, holding up a hand. "Glenda said you should take it off once we were a good distance away from the Illusive Man and ... well, whatever was looking for her. She said you could keep it for your friends."

Hylia glanced at Finn and gave him a knowing nod. Xyn's hair receded a great deal, now little more than a short crop that fell to her shoulders. It was still tangled in the colander, however, which made extraction a slow, arduous project made all the worse for the strange sparks that shot from the metal when Hylia touched it with her purple gloves.

After about half an hour of careful work, however, she finally lifted the colander free from Xyn's head.

"All right." Hylia said, rising and moving away from everyone. "Cover your eyes, everyone; this can be a bit ... jarring."

She dropped the colander in her collection bag, which immediately spewed out a blast of sparks ten-times the force of those produced by her gloves.

"Xyn?" Sherle asked, kneeling by the neukaran again and shaking her a little more forcefully this time. "Xyn, please, can you hear me?"

Xyn didn't respond. She continued sleeping, a faint look of sadness on her face as she slumbered.

"Oy! Eri!" Finn said, smacking the turian's foot.

He awoke with a start and stared blearily around the room.

"Wha ..." Eri's eyes eventually focused on Finn. Letting out a groan, he said, "Finn. What is it?"

"Up and at 'em." Finn said, helping his reluctant friend to his feet. "No rest for the wicked."

Eri was able to stand on his own two feet ... barely. Keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder, Finn asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Eri said, shaking his head. "Just a bit sleepy, that's all."

Finn shot Hylia a worried look as Eri yawned. "Is this normal?"

"There is no normal when dealing with artifacts." She said, her face grim. "Sherle, are you feeling tired?"

"A little." She admitted, "But it's fine; I've been through worse. Why?"

"Because I'm thinking whatever lingering effect the colander left might be spreading because of your mental link. Look at Eri; he's barely able to stand."

"I'm fine." Eri said, making a feeble attempt to stand on his own only to fall back against Finn. "Jus' need a little rest."

"Oh no you don't." Finn said, pulling Eri back up as he tried to sit down again. Looking to Hylia, Finn asked, "Is there anything you can do?"

Hylia let out a sigh and scratched her red-scaled head. "Give me an hour to make a few calls."

"An hour?" Sherle said in disbelief. "We can't just leave Xyn like this!"

Hylia put her hands on Sherle's shoulders. "Sherle; Xyn is alive and stable. I'm sure we can counteract the effects of the colander, but acting impulsively isn't going to help. I know you care about her, but-"

"What the hell do you know?" Sherle said, shrugging free of Hylia's grip. "You're not even part of the Ulasomorf crew!"

"Sherle." Eri said, leaning heavily against Finn. "She's just trying to help."

"Then help!" Sherle demanded. "Go talk to your spooky secret organization and bring her back."

Hylia lowered her hands. Her expression somber, she picked up the bag with the colander and headed for the door only to stop just as the door slid open.

"You're right." Hylia said. "I'm not the same as you; you have a chance to get your loved one back. I never did."

Sherle blushed and looked away as Hylia stepped through the doorway, the door sliding shut behind her.

Finn stared at her until a soft snore alerted him to the fact that Eri was asleep. He shook Eri, but it soon became clear the turian wasn't waking up again.

"Great." Finn said. "Now what?"

Sherle didn't respond. After a few moments, she walked out of the room. Alone with two sleeping friends, Finn sighed and set Eri down beside Xyn. Even asleep, they reached for each other.

"Aww ... don't they look cute?" Jake's voice asked. "Take a picture!"

Finn rubbed his eyes. "You can't be here."

"Of course I can." Jake said. "We're brothers!"

"But you're gone. You're with Glenda ... wherever she is."

"Hmm. That's a toughie. You think I'm a delusion?"

"I think that's pretty obvious." Finn said, giving up on locating the position of the voice. "At least I'm not hallucinating."

"Yet."

Finn frowned. "Not funny."

Chuckling, Jake said, "Then why are you laughing?"

"I'm not."

"Not out loud, no."

Finn didn't have a response for that. He heard Jake let out a sigh. "Look, maybe I'm a delusion, but tell me this; wouldn't you rather I be here? Even Glen wasn't sure if she could get me back. I might be all the Jake you have left."

"I know." Finn said, letting out a sigh. "I guess you're right, but I'm pretty sure if anyone catches me talking to myself, they're going to think I'm completely nuts."

"Hmm. Good point. Tell you what; I'll try to keep the conversation to a minimum, at least when we're in public ... unless it's something or important or really funny. When we're alone ... well, what's it matter, right?"

Finn thought about it for a few moments. While questioning one's sanity was never a pleasant experience, it wasn't like there was any harm in indulging in a comforting delusion. It was a little soothing, actually.

"Deal." Finn said.

"Excuse me?"

Finn whirled around to see Kyra standing in the doorway.

"Aw, crap." Jake's voice said. "Er, shutting up now."

"Finn?" She asked, approaching slowly with a curious look on her face. "Who are you talking to?"

"Talking to?" Finn repeated.

"You said 'Deal'."

"I did?" Finn said, feigning surprise. "Sorry; I guess I was thinking out loud."

He turned to Eri and Xyn as she walked over to him. They stared at their slumbering friends for a few moments in silence.

"Are they okay?" Kyra asked, a note of worry in her voice.

Finn put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. "Side-effect of the colander-thing Glen used to protect her from the Illusive Man. Hylia's working on a solution; until then, we might as well let them sleep."

"And Sherle?"

"Awake for the moment." Finn told her. "Maybe it didn't effect her as much."

"Or maybe it's taking longer." Kyra rubbed Finn's hand, her eyes on their sleeping comrades.

Finn gently turned her to face him. "So, did you need something?"

"Yes." She said, putting her arms around his neck. "Lunch."

"Lunch? Oh, right!" Finn blushed and said, "Sorry; I guess I've been here longer than I thought."

Taking her hands, he said, "C'mon. I'll fix us up something."

They'd scarcely stepped into the lift when the ship's intercom activated. "Agent Cresste, your presence is needed at the holding cells."

Finn let out a sigh. "So much for lunch."

"Holding cells?" Kyra asked, brow furrowed. "I didn't think the Normandy had holding cells."

"That is true." EDI said, her voice coming from the intercom. "While normally not equipped with holding cells or a brig, your capture of two Cerberus operatives necessitated a secure location be-"

"Alea!" Finn said, bopping himself in the head. "I completely forgot about her and Greg!"

"I don't understand." Kyra said, "Who's Alea?"

"My sister." He said, making her eyebrows rise. "Where are they?"

"As I was attempting to convey, a holding cell has been set up on the engineering deck."

"Take us there." Finn said.

The lift whirred as it carried them through the ship. Finn could feel Kyra's gaze on him, and eventually returned it. "Yes?"

"You seemed a little abrupt with EDI." She said.

"I'm not comfortable with strangers, that's all." he told her.

"But Jake's memories are a part of her. Surely she's not-"

"She's not Jake." Finn snapped, instantly regretting it when he saw Kyra's hurt expression. Sighing, he said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She said, giving him a patient smile. "We'll get through this, Finn."

The lift doors opened a few moments later. There were a few places where a cell could be set up on the engineering deck without presenting a risk to the ship. Liara had chosen the area with the trash compactor, as it was easy to block off, provided no access to important ship's systems, and only offered escape to people just under six feet square.

Finn opened the door to find Liara and Javik already there speaking with Alea and Greg ... outside the force field. Alea lunged at Finn the moment she saw him, only for Kyra to catch her clenched fist tightly only inches from Finn's face.

"I'm guessing you're his sister." Kyra said, a note of warning in her voice. "Let me introduce myself; I'm Kyra'Shor vas Shepard. Finn is my boyfriend, and while I agree he needs a good bopping every now and then, I am the only one allowed to do the bopping. Consider your bopping privileges revoked."

After a moment of struggle Alea backed away, anger still in her eyes.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Alea demanded. "Do you have any idea how massively you've screwed up this time?"

"Screwed up?" Finn said, already feeling a little angry himself. "Oh, well excuse me ... next time I'll just leave you with the megalomaniac."

"I was spying on that megalomaniac, you moron!" She raised her hand again but stopped, looking at Kyra. Kyra sighed, raised her hand, and gave him a small bop in the head.

"Wait, what?" Finn said, rubbing his head more out of instinct than any actual pain Kyra delivered.

"I'm working for Admiral Alenko!" She said, exasperation in her voice. "Greg and I both are! We're Alliance spies!"

Finn's jaw dropped as his sister continued, "We spent months infiltrating Cerberus just so we could get aboard that station and get a good internal scan of the place. We were in the middle of finding a way to sabotage the damn thing, when you shuffled your clumsy-ass feet right into the middle of everything and screwed it all up!"

Dumbfounded, Finn asked, "Why didn't you tell me? If you had given me some clue-"

"What, while we were on the station? Are you insane ... no, strike that, I already know the answer to that one." Alea said, glaring at her brother. "The Illusive Man is linked into every critical part of that station, Finn; every intercom, every camera, every temperature gauge. What was I supposed to say to clue you in that he wouldn't be able to pick up on?"

Finn was speechless. He didn't doubt Alea was telling the truth, but that just made it worse. The Alliance already had a plan to destroy the Sun-Cruncher, and he'd inadvertantly messed it up.

"It couldn't be helped." Liara said, giving Finn a concerned look.

"But she's right." Finn said. "I just-"

"You saw your sister in trouble and in the absense of any information you did what any good sibling would do, Finn." Liara sighed and rubbed her head. "I'll send a communication to Admiral Alenko. We might be able to salvage her plan, or find a way to incorporate it into ours. Excuse me."

Liara departed, Javik following suite after giving Finn a look that made the human pilot even more uncomfortable.

"For the record," Greg said with an apologetic smile. "I appreciate the thought. I mean, I know we weren't exactly friends in the Academy, and if I was brainwashed ... well, you know."

Finn nodded, though in truth he barely heard a word Greg said. People were going to die, probably a lot of people. Despite Liara's kind words, it was his fault.

Alea sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I better go send a message to the Admiral myself. C'mon, Greg."

"Er, I was thinking that maybe I should-"

She grabbed him by the back of his uniform and dragged him along behind her.

Kyra chuckled. "Looks like your sister has bopping rights on someone of her own."

Finn didn't reply. He leaned heavily against the counter, wracking his brain for a way to absolve himself of blame, but there was no denying it. Had he done nothing, the Alliance would have likely dealt with the threat.

"Finn?" Kyra said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Liara's right; you can't blame yourself. I'd have done the same thing if it was one of my sisters."

"Thanks." Finn said, though his voice sounded lifeless to his own ears. "I'm sorry, Kyra, but I think I'm going to pass on lunch today. I don't have much of an apetite."

"Oh." She said, a small frown forming. "Well, all right. I mean, I understand, given what just happened."

Before departing, she hugged him from behind. "Please don't beat yourself up over it, sweetie. We'll stop Cerberus, just you wait and see."

Finn remained in the compactor room for a few minutes after Kyra departed.

"She's right, man." Jake said, "How were we supposed to know? I didn't know, and I doubt there's anyone in the verse who knows Alea better than us. Well, maybe Greg."

"Not helping." Finn said, hanging his head.

"It ain't supposed to help, Finn." Finn heard Jake let out a sigh. "Yeah, we're kinda responsible, but that just makes it that much more important that we fix things."

"But how?" Finn asked. "How am I supposed to fix this?"

"You use the experience to make you stronger, Mister Cresste."

Finn looked up to see Javik standing in the doorway. He slowly approached Finn, his four eyes as scrutinous as ever. "You are angry ... not just at this mistake, but at the death of your robot friend. Anger unbound can tear a warrior apart from within; you must focus that anger, let it empower you. Then, when the time comes, you use that power on our enemies.'

"I wish I could." Finn said. "I just ... I don't know how."

To Finn's surprise, Javik put a hand on his shoulder. After staring at Finn for a moment, he said, "I can teach you ... if you are willing to learn. If we are to do this, however, we must begin immediately; our time is limited, and our enemy is nearly upon us."

Finn met his gaze for a long moment before slowly nodding.

Javik nodded as well. "Good. Then let us begin."


End file.
